Tenant_Selection_Policy.pdf

E.17 HOME Program 9/06

City of Rock Hill

TENANT SELECTION POLICY

NOTE: CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No owner, developer or sponsor of a project assisted with HOME funds (or officer, employee, agent or consultant of the owner, developer or sponsor) whether private, for profit or non-profit, (including Community Housing Development Organizations [CHDOs}, when acting as an owner, developer or sponsor) may occupy a HOME-assisted affordable housing unit in a project.

This includes themselves or those with whom they have household or business ties, during their tenure or for one year thereafter.

This provision does not apply to an employee or agent of the owner or developer of a rental housing project who occupies a HOME assisted unit as the project manager or maintenance worker, if the employee or agent is otherwise qualified.

APPLICATION

Applications will be accepted from anyone who wishes to apply for residency. Based on the information submitted on the application, the applicant will be notified they appear eligible and will be placed on the waiting list, or they will be notified they are not eligible, the reason why, and the steps necessary to appeal the decision.

Applicants will be selected for residency on a first-come, first-serve basis. An applicant will be offered an available unit or rejected before the unit is offered to the next applicant on the waiting list. Applicants may reject three (3) units, before their name is removed from the waiting list.

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM INCOME LIMITS FOR OCCUPANCY

Minimum Requirement:

Applicants must make at least 30% of the AMI for York County.

Maximum Requirement:

The maximum household income should not exceed the program income limits established by

HUD.

SCREENING CRITERIA

• Positive identification with a picture will be required.

• A complete and accurate application listing a current and at least one previous rental reference with phone numbers will be required. Personal references and/or a co-signer will be required if no rental history has been established.

• Credit history will be reviewed. Negative credit is defined as:

1. Bankruptcy reported within 1 year of date of application

2. Bankruptcy reported prior to 1 year from the date of the application and negative information reported following the bankruptcy within the last 3 years

3. Involuntarily repossession within the last three (3) years

4. More than three (3) non-medical collection accounts in the last three (3) years

• Criminal history will be reviewed. Negative criminal history is defined as:

1. Any applicant currently using illegal drugs, possessing illegal drugs or reporting a conviction by any court of competent jurisdiction for the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance shall be denied.

2. Any individual who may constitute a direct threat to the health and safety of an individual, or whose tenancy may pose a threat to the complex, or the property of other, shall be denied. Examples include, but are not limited to: conviction for rape, arson, child molestation, felony assault.

INCOME AND ASSET VERIFICATION

• Income determinations and calculations for the Program change annually and are determined by HUD and posted on South Carolina State Housing’s website for reference.

https://www.schousing.com/Home/PartnerIncomeLimits

• All income from all sources received by the household head (even if the household head is temporarily absent) and all income received by each additional member of the household who is not a dependent shall be included in annual income. Specific income sources are excluded by HUD regulations and/or federal statute. The household’s income sources will be examined for these exclusions. In addition, all net income derived from assets for the 12-month period following the effective date of any determination of income is included.

• All sources of income will be verified prior to placement in the unit.

REJECTION POLICY

• Applicants may be rejected if:

1. They are ineligible as defined in HUD Manual 4350.3 paragraph 2.7, or as defined by the program requirements, or do not meet the criteria specified in the screening criteria.

2. Household characteristics are not appropriate for the type of units available. (Elderly, disabled projects)

3. Household size is not appropriate for the size of units available

4. Applicant does not meet the screening criteria

5. Applicant is unable or unwilling to disclose information necessary to establish eligibility

• If an application is rejected due to negative and adverse information being reported you may:

1) Contact the company that supplied the information to discuss your application.

2) Contact the credit reporting agency to identify who is reporting unfavorable information.

3) Correct any incorrect information through the credit reporting agent as per their policy.

4) Request the credit reporting agency to submit a corrected credit check to the appropriate screening company.

5) Upon receipt of the correct information, your application will be re-evaluated for the next available unit.

6) If your application has been denied and you feel that you qualify as a resident despite the steps above you may appeal by letter to management.

7) In the letter you should explain the reasons you believe your application should be approved and request a review of your file. Within 7 working days of receipt https://www.schousing.com/Home/PartnerIncomeLimits of your letter, your application file will be reviewed and you will be notified of the outcome.

OCCUPANCY STANDARDS

The following table shows the minimum and maximum household size for unit occupancy.

Applicants can choose the unit size within these guidelines. Exceptions can be made if necessary to meet the special circumstances or special needs of a particular household, or, if the unit size permits a larger occupancy than the standard.

Occupancy Standards Table

UNIT SIZE

MINIMUM

MAXIMUM

studio apartment one bedroom two bedroom three bedroom four bedroom

Reasonable Accommodation:

Applicants requiring a unit larger than the occupancy standards due to a reasonable accommodation due to disability may request to apply for the accommodation upon application

PLACEMENTS FROM THE WAITING LIST

Households will be placed on a first-come first-serve basis until the waitlist is full. Households will be placed into the first available vacancy when their name comes to the top of the waiting list for that unit size and income eligibility. The exception would be units that are designed to be accessible to handicapped applicants. An applicant who requires the accessibility features would receive preference, regardless of application date.

There may be occasions where an accessible unit becomes vacant and there is no household on the waiting list that requires the features. Any household may then be placed into the unit.

However, applicants who occupy a unit with handicap accessibility features who do not have a household member requiring the features of the unit will be required to sign a lease addendum upon move-in. They addendum states they agree to relocate to another unit if the design features of the unit are needed in the future by another tenant or applicant.

NONDISCRIMINATION AGAINST RENTAL ASSISTANCE SUBSIDY HOLDERS

The project will not refuse to lease HOME-assisted units to a Section 8 voucher holder, or to the holder of a comparable document evidencing participation in a HOME tenant-based rental assistance program because of the status of the prospective tenant as a holder of such voucher, or comparable HOME tenant-based assistance document.

FAIR HOUSING

No person shall be discriminated against based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, familial status or handicap. This applies to accepting and processing applications, selecting tenants from among eligible applicants, assigning units and certifying and recertifying eligibility for assistance.