{"id":742,"date":"2018-04-30T18:04:01","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T18:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/?page_id=742"},"modified":"2025-01-28T14:47:45","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T14:47:45","slug":"public-housing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/public-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Housing"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-751 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/public-housing-300x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"342\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/public-housing-300x184.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/public-housing-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/public-housing-360x220.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/public-housing.jpg 949w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 342px) 100vw, 342px\" \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Public housing was established by the federal government to help provide decent and safe\u00a0rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">There are many different types of public housing and each type is regulated by local housing agencies.\u00a0 Although each agency has to follow the regulations and guidelines set up by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), each local Public Housing Authority has broad discretion in how that looks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>Even though Public Housing may not be the best option with a criminal background, read on, as things are changing in the world of reentry.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. A local Public Housing Authority will determine eligibility based on:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">annual gross income<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you are eligible, the local Public Housing Authority will check your references to make sure you and your family will be good tenants.\u00a0 The local PHA will deny admission to any applicant who may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other tenants or on the project&#8217;s environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT ARE THE INCOME LIMITS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The local Public Housing Authority will use income limits developed by HUD.\u00a0 HUD sets the <strong>lower income<\/strong> limit at 80% and <strong>very low income<\/strong> limits at 50% of the median income for the area in which you will be living.\u00a0 So even though you may be eligible at one Public Housing Authority location, you may not be eligible in another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You will have to contact the Public Housing Authority serving the particular community in which you wish to live to help you determine the income limits for the area and size of your family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You can also find a chart of 2024 income limits from the State of Maryland here on the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/dhcd.maryland.gov\/HousingDevelopment\/Documents\/prhp\/2024-MD-Income-Limits.pdf\" data-wplink-url-error=\"true\">http:\/\/chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/dhcd.maryland.gov\/HousingDevelopment\/Documents\/prhp\/2024-MD-Income-Limits.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">HOW<\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> DO I APPLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you are interested in applying for public housing, contact your Public Housing Authority.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Here is the website for the Public Housing Agencies in Maryland:\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">https:\/\/www.hud.gov\/states\/maryland\/renting\/hawebsites<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In Baltimore, that would be through the <strong><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.baltimorehousing.org\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">Baltimore Housing Authority<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To apply:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The application must be written. Either you or the PHA representative will fill it out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The Public Housing Authority will usually collect the following information to determine eligibility:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">(1) Names of all persons who would be living in the unit, their sex, date of birth, and relationship to the family head;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">(2) Your present address and telephone number;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">(3) Family characteristics (e.g., veteran) or circumstances (e.g., living in substandard housing) that might qualify the family for tenant selection preferences;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">(4) Names and addresses of your current and previous landlords for information about your family&#8217;s suitability as a tenant;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">(5) An estimate of your family&#8217;s anticipated income for the next twelve months and the sources of that income;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">(6) The names and addresses of employers, banks, and any other information the HA would need to verify your income and deductions, and to verify the family composition; and<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">(7) The PHA also may visit you in your home to interview you and your family members to see how you manage the upkeep of you current home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT KIND OF DOCUMENTATION WILL I NEED TO HAVE TO APPLY?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">As with all applications, you will need to provide documentation to verify the information that you give on your application.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">That documentation might include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">birth certificates of all members of the family<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">tax returns to verify income<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Social Security Card<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">evidence of eligible immigration status<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The Public Housing Authority may also contact you employer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You will be asked to sign a release to authorize for a criminal background check on everybody in your household over the age of 14.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>IS THERE A WAITING LIST FOR PUBLIC HOUSING?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Yes.\u00a0 There is generally a waiting list for access to Public Housing.\u00a0 Once your application is accepted, your name will go on that waiting list and when your name is reached, the Housing Authority will contact you and determine if you are still eligible for the housing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">ARE PEOPLE WITH A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND ABLE TO APPLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Yes.\u00a0 Barring people from Public Housing based on a criminal record might violate the Fair Housing Act which &#8220;prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of dwellings and in other housing-related activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\">disability, familial status or national origin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In the past, any one with a criminal record could be barred from entry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In April 2016, HUD&#8217;s Office of General Counsel issued guidance about how the Fair Housing Act applies to people with criminal backgrounds.\u00a0 In general, this guidance warned that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">arrests can no longer be used to deny admission to applicants<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">only convictions can be considered<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Housing Authorities still have a lot of discretion in determining whether or not a person with a criminal background would pose a safety risk to other residents or the surrounding environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">ARE THERE ANY CONVICTIONS THAT COULD PERMANENTLY BAR ME FROM LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Yes, according to Federal law.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">a person who is subject to lifetime sex offender registration<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">a person who has been convicted of producing methamphetamines on public housing grounds<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you have one of these convictions but are already living in public housing, you have a right to stay because Federal law only applies to people who are\u00a0<em>applying<\/em>\u00a0to live in public housing, not those who already do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Call a lawyer if eviction proceedings are brought against you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">HOW CAN I PUT MY CRIMINAL BACKGROUND IN THE BEST LIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY TO EVALUATE ME?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In order to put yourself in the best light for Public Housing, you will want to<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Include in your application:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Evidence of treatment or rehabilitation, including evidence of completion of a drug counseling program or Certificates of Relief from Disabilities and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Certificates of Good Conduct.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Evidence that your household is participating in, or willing to participate in, other social services or counseling programs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you are denied admission or are evicted from Public Housing because of criminal activity, you MUST be provided with the grounds for denial or termination, a copy of your criminal record (if you have one), and any other relevant PHA documents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You also must be given the opportunity to dispute the accuracy and relevance of any documents being used by the Housing Authority to deny your admission or to evict you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Call an attorney for advise.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING? Public housing was established by the federal government to help provide decent and safe\u00a0rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. There are many different types of public housing and each type <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/public-housing\/\" class=\"read-more\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/742"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=742"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1366,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/742\/revisions\/1366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}