PUBLIC HOUSING FAQS
1. WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING? Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low and moderate income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered duplex and quad apartments to high-rise apartments for elderly families. Rent in these units is set for each family based on their anticipated annual adjusted income.
2. WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. The Housing Authority (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 background through a series of standard screening tests designed to protect the safety of our current residents and property. At minimum, we screen 1) criminal history in the past five years; 2) credit as it relates to your rental history, including evictions; and 3) references from past landlords. Based on this screening, we will deny admission to any applicant whose habits and practices may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other residents or on the public housing environment.
3. HOW DO I APPLY? If you are interested in applying for public housing, you must fill out a pre-application with the Office or online under the admissions tab at the top of the screen. This pre-application will place you on our waiting list.
4. ONCE I APPLY, WHAT IS THE APPLICATIONS PROCESS? The applications process follows the steps below (Note: this is only intended as a summary of the process and may not be all- inclusive):
1. Pre-application - the family fills out a pre-application in order to be placed on the waiting list.
2. Waiting List - the family is placed on the waiting list according to application date, local preference, bedroom size, and
accessibility needs.
3. Selection - the rate of selection is based on vacancy rate. Families at the top of the waiting list will be selected in blocks to fill current vacancy needs. Once a family has been selected, they will be notified by mail. They will also be advised in their selection letter of the next steps they need to take in order to continue the application process. If a family fails to respond to the selection, their file will be closed.
1. Standard Screening -This process involves an in-depth examination of the family's history in order to determine their suitability for housing within the HA. HA will conduct local and national police check on household members to the extent allowed by Kentucky State law for record within the past five (5) years. Additional screening on credit as it relates to rental history (including evictions). Based on this screening, the HA will deny admission to any applicant whose habits and practices may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other residents or on the public housing environment. These standard screening procedures are intended to protect the safety of our current residents and property.
2. Interview & Placement- Once an applicant passes the preliminary screening, they will receive an offer from us. At interview, the staff member will then determine what documents will be needed such as: income verification; landlord references; marriage license; proof of citizenship; etc. If there are any documents required by the agency that an applicant does not bring with them at the time of interview, they will be given a reasonable amount of time to return with these documents. The staff member will give the applicant a check list of items needed with a deadline date to return their paperwork. Once all paperwork has been returned and verified, and the applicant is found eligible, the file will then be placed in a ready pool. Applicants will then be offered vacancies as they become available. Units are offered based on oldest application date and how long a person's file has been complete.
5. WHAT IF I NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO MY APPLICATION INFORMATION? All changes to application information must be made in writing or online. If you have changed your mailing address, family members, income etc., you may make changes online, fill out a change form at our office or send a letter by mail requesting the change (please include your social security number so we can easily identify your records). If we require additional documentation of this change, we will advise you of what is required.
6. WHEN WILL I BE NOTIFIED? All official notification will be made by mail. You will also receive an email. Once your name is reached on the waiting list, HADR will mail a selection letter to you. This will advise you of the next step in the application process. If, at any time, it is determined that you are ineligible, HADR will mail a denial letter to you, telling you why you have been denied and advising you of how you may request an informal hearing.
7. HOW LONG IS THE WAITING LIST? The length of the waiting list varies depending on the number of vacancies we have and how many people are applying for housing. The waiting list also varies depending on which bedroom size you qualify for. On average, you can expect to wait the following amount of time from the date you put in your application:
* 1-2 Bedrooms: 3-5 years from the date of application
* 3 Bedrooms: 1-3 years from date of application
* 4-5 Bedrooms: 3-5 years from the date of application
8. ARE THERE ANY PREFERENCES? There are several preferences that can affect your placement on the waiting list:
1. Local - Families who reside in Grant County or are employed in Grant County
2. Working/Disabled Families - Families whose head of household or spouse are employed at a bona fide job working at least 30 hours per week continuously will qualify for this preference. Families whose head or spouse is at least 62 years old or who are documented to have a disability will also qualify for this preference. This preference will also be given to families whose head or spouse can verify, at time of application, participation in a job-training program or graduation from such a program that will lead to employment within 6 months of graduation; and who can verify participation in this program while on the waiting list.
3. Veterans - Any veteran who has served active duty in any branch of the United States military service.
9. WHAT IF I NEED EMERGENCY HOUSING? The Housing Authority of Dry Ridge cannot provide emergency housing.
10. HOW IS BEDROOM SIZE DETERMINED? Bedroom size is determined by the number, generation, and sex of the members of your family. If your family composition changes after you move in, you may request to be transferred to an apartment with the appropriate number of bedrooms for your current family size. In general, we will allow one bedroom for every 2 people of the same generation and sex. Infants under the age of 2 will not warrant an extra bedroom. Persons of different generations and/or of different sexes will not be considered to be housed in the same room. To give a few examples: a single parent with a 1-year old son, and a 5-year old daughter would be eligible for a 2 bedroom apartment. A single parent with a 3-year old daughter, a 6-year old son, and a 17-year old son would be eligible for a 3 bedroom apartment. A single parent with a 4-year old child and a grandparent in the household will be eligible for a 3 bedroom apartment. A couple with a 6-month old child will be eligible for a 2 bedroom apartment. The Housing Authority of Dry Ridge will provide equal accessibility to all persons meeting the family definition as stated in HUD's Equal Access Rule, See 24 CFR 5.403. Family includes, but is not limited to, the following, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status:
* Gender identity means actual or perceived gender-related characteristics.
* Sexual orientation means homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
11. 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. HADR will exclude from annual income the following allowances:
$480 for each dependent;
$400 for any family whose head or spouse is elderly 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, HADR will determine if any other 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, and divided by 12
months);
2. 10 percent of gross monthly income;
3. or $50 minimum rent