ANSONBOROUGH HOUSE APARTMENTS Tenant Selection Plan
Ansonborough House is a Section 8 Subsection 202 property that is designated to house very low-income elderly persons. Ansonborough House is located at 71 Society Street in downtown Charleston, SC. It is consists of a six-story apartment complex, there are five floor plans with one- or two- bedroom apartments. Every unit has a full kitchen, great room, walk-in utility closet, separate bedroom & bath, and ample closet space. All seventy-seven (77) apartments are equipped with twenty-four (24) hour emergency call button service as well as security and fire monitoring service.
Ansonborough House has an in-house Laundry Facility and Food Mart, and offers recreational activities, trips and case management services.
The procedures contained in this Tenant Selection Plan have been established in compliance with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (hereinafter HUD) Handbook 4350.3 REV-1, and all other applicable federal statutes and regulations. It is designated to promote fairness and uniformity in tenant selection and efficiencies in the process by which applications are processed.
I. PROJECT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
(a) PERSONS ELIGIBLE:
Applicant(s) must qualify under the definition of Elderly Family. 1 Elderly Family is a family whose head or spouse or whose sole member is sixty-two (62) years or older. (b) CITIZENSHIP:
Assistance to subsidize housing is restricted to the following:
- S. Citizens or Nationals; and
- Non-citizens who have eligible immigration status.
a. Required Documentations
Each Applicant and the family member applying for the housing are required to submit the required evidence described below:
For U.S. citizens or nationals: a signed declaration of citizenship and U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport.
For non-citizens sixty-two (62) years and older: a signed declaration of eligible non-citizen status and proof of age.
1 24 CFR 5.403 and 24 CFR 891.505; HUD 4350.3 REV-1 Handbook 4-59.
For non-citizens under the age of sixty-two (62) claiming eligible status: a signed declaration of eligible immigration status and signed consent form and one of the DHS-approved documents.[1]
Family members who are not claiming eligible immigration status may elect to sign a statement that they acknowledge their ineligibility for assistance.
A Mixed Family[2] may receive prorated assistance, continued assistance, or a temporary deferral of termination of assistance.
b. Submitting Evidence of Citizenship/Immigration Status
Applicant(s) shall provide the evidence of citizenship/immigration status at the time of submitting the application. Applicant’s name may be added to Waiting List pending verification, but information must be submitted prior to move-in.
If the Applicant cannot supply the documentation at the time of the application, Ansonborough House may allow Applicant an extension of not more than thirty (30) days, but only if the Applicant certifies that: the evidence is temporarily unavailable; additional time is required in order for it to be obtained; and prompt and diligent efforts will be undertaken to obtain the evidence.
However, until the necessary documentation is received, a unit cannot be allotted to the Applicant.
A request for an extension must be in writing. If the request is granted, the new deadline for submitting the documentation will be provided to the Applicant. If the request is denied, Applicant will be informed of the reasons for the denial in the written response. When granting or rejecting extensions, Ansonborough House will treat Applicants consistently and in compliance with HUD.
c. Verification of a Household’s Citizenship/Immigration Status
Ansonborough House employs the INS automated Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements System (S.A.V.E.) to verify eligibility for housing assistance.
If secondary verification is necessary, Ansonborough House will, within ten
(10) days of receipt of such requirement, prepare and send DHS Form G845S, Document Verification Request, to the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) office serving the property’s jurisdiction.
The family will be notified in writing as soon as possible if the secondary verification process returns a negative result. The family has thirty (30) days from receipt of the notice to choose which option to follow.
Assistance will not be delayed if the family submits immigration information in a timely manner but the DHS verification or appeals process has not been completed.
If Applicant(s) is determined ineligible, the application will be rejected.
(c) SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Applicant(s) must disclose SSNs for all household members and provide verification of the complete and accurate SSN assigned to them. Applicants who do not contend eligible immigration status, and Applicant(s) age sixty two ( 62) or older as of January 31, 2010, whose initial determination of eligibility was begun before January 31, 2010, are not required to disclose the SSN.
Applicant(s) has ninety (90) days from the date a unit was offered to disclose and/or provide documentation to verify all non-exempt household members’ SSNs. Applicants may retain their position on the Waiting List during this time. After ninety 90 days, if SSN has not been disclosed and verified, the applicant should be determined ineligible and removed from the Waiting List.
(d) INCOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
HUD establishes and publishes income limits for each county or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the country. The income limits are based on the median income of the geographic area for which the limit is established.
Applicant(s) household annual income must not exceed the program income limits. The income limits for Ansonborough House project are:
Very Low-Income Limit 50% of Median Income
Extremely Low-Income Limit 30% of Median Income[3]
Applicant(s) must submit income and information for verification.
Income Targeting: At least forty percent (40%) of the assisted units that become available in each fiscal year must be made available for leasing to families whose income does not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the area median income (extremely low-income).
II. PROCEDURE FOR ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Applications are accepted ONLY during the following months subject to space availability: January and July. Applicants who are homeless, or in danger of being homeless or paying more than fifty percent (50%) of their income in rent may apply at any time.
Once application is received, it will be evaluated for eligibility. Following completion of the certification and interview process, Applicant(s) will be contacted concerning acceptance or rejection of the application. The received application will be recorded by either using a date and time stamp or by writing and initialing the date and time received.
Eligible Applicant(s) will be placed on the Waiting List on the date all the required materials were received by the Office.
Acceptance of the application does not guarantee the eligibility for an apartment. Further screening described below will be administered prior to offering an apartment.
If the Applicant requires assistance in reading, understanding or completion of the application because of a disability or limited English proficiency, he/she should contact the Office to request a reasonable accommodation. It is the policy of Ansonborough House to offer assistance in completing the applications to all who make such a request.
III. WAITING LIST
(a) Waiting List Procedures
After preliminary eligibility determination Ansonborough House will place an Applicant’s name on the Waiting List.
Ansonborough House will provide notice of opening and closing the Waiting List in compliance with HUD Waiting List requirements. The notice will be published in the local newspaper.
If Applicant(s) is eligible for tenancy, but units of appropriate size are not vacant, Applicant(s) will be placed on the Waiting List and will be notified when a suitable unit becomes available. A final eligibility determination is made at the time the unit is available.
If a Applicant(s) is eligible for tenancy but SSNs have not been disclosed, Applicant(s) will be placed on the Waiting List and will be notified when a suitable unit becomes available. The Applicant must disclose and provide verification of a SSN for all household members before they can be admitted.
If an Applicant is otherwise eligible for tenancy but no appropriate size unit exists in the property, the application will be rejected.
(b) Communication with Applicant(s)
An offer for an apartment will be made to the qualified Applicants by telephone or by written letter.
An Applicant offered an apartment has twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the phone call, or, if notified by letter, five (5) days from the letter’s receipt, to notify the Office of Applicant’s intention to accept or reject the offer.
An Applicant will be removed from the Waiting List if after several attempts to contact the Applicant, the Applicant failed to respond, or the letter was returned to the sender or if the phone number is disconnected or incorrect.
In cases of medical emergency, Ansonborough House reserves the right to keep the name of the eligible Applicant on the Waiting List for reasonable time.
Applicants who refused the offer of an apartment or did not qualify at the time the application was made may reapply at any time. However, their position on the Waiting List will be determined at the time of the subsequent submission of the application.
IV. PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING PREFERENCE
Preferences affect only the order of Applicants on the Waiting List.
- Ranked Preferences: The following are established preferences ranked in order below:
- Applicant(s) who are homeless or are in danger of being displaced, including persons living in shelters. Ansonborough House reserves the right to give preference based on the length the person has been homeless. To qualify for a homeless preference the Applicant shall provide Ansonborogh House with proof of the situation including but not limited to statements from the shelter or friends/relatives that can be verified.
- Applicant(s) whose current rent is more than fifty percent (50%) of Applicant’s income. To qualify under this preference, the Applicant shall provide Ansonborogh House with the copy of a Lease together with landlord’s reference.
- Applicant(s) who is living in substandard housing or in housing that is not secure. To qualify under this preference, the Applicant shall provide documentation to verify housing condition.
- Applicant(s) who is disabled (handicapped)[4] and require a handicap unit; In compliance with HUD Ansonborough House will first offer units with special accessibility features to families that include persons with disabilities requiring such features.
- Applicant(s) who is displaced for no fault of his/her own.
- Applicant(s) who is first on the chronologically maintained Waiting List.
- Tenant(s) awaiting for a Unit Transfer.
- Verification: Third party verification is required to qualify for any above listed preferences.
- Income Targeting: To comply with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Income Targeting, Ansonborough House must rent forty percent (40%) of subsidized units that become available each year to extremely low-income households, which earn thirty percent (30%) or less of the area’s median income, as determined by HUD.
If it is determined that current Waiting List does not achieve the mandatory requirement, Ansonborough House reserves the right to implement procedures that will ensure compliance. Applicant(s) whose income is below the extremely low income limit may receive preference over another Applicant in a higher position on the Waiting List.
V. APPLICANT SCREENING CRITERIA
The following screening standards and methods will be applied to all Applicants and will be employed fairly and consistently in order to determine suitability for this community.
- Ability to pay rent. Applicant(s) must demonstrate financial responsibility. Ansonborough House may reject Applicant(s) for a poor credit history, but may not reject Applicant(s) for lack of a credit history.
- Comments from former landlords. Ansonborough House reserves the right to contact previous landlords (if any) and may collect prior rental history.
- Criminal History. Criminal background check will be obtained on each Applicant. Applicants with any criminal activity that would threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents, will not be admitted. Ansonborough House reserves the right to deny the admission based on the findings of criminal background check. *Note: The same criteria regarding criminal history applies to live-in aides.
- Sex Offender. Ansonborough House will run national Sex Offender Registry on each Applicant and prohibit the admission of individuals subject to a State lifetime sex offender registration program[5].
- Illegal Drug Use. Applicant(s) must disclose current illegal controlled substance use. Ansonborough House reserves the right to deny the admission based on information provided. If Applicant currently undergoes substance abuse treatment, the proof of enrollments or completion is required before Applicant can be placed on the Waiting List.
- Capacity to Contract. All members of the proposed household must have the legal capacity to enter into the lease agreement and, in fact, must be willing to sign the lease agreement.
- Capacity to care for him/herself. Applicant(s) must be able to take care of their daily activity or must have a caregiver, living aide or equivalent support system.
VI. RESTRICTIONS FOR STUDENTS
Applicant(s) who is a part time or full time student will be accepted in accordance
with 24 C.F.R. 5.612 restrictions as published by HUD.[6]
VII. ENTERPRISE INCOME VERIFICATION (EIV)
Ansonborough House will utilize the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system during the occupancy process. The EIV system is a source of information for verifying employment and household income. Data will include income from such sources as Social Security, Social Security Disability, SSI, Wages, Unemployment Compensation, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. for each family member. EIV will also show whether an Applicant or any member of the applicant household is currently receiving HUD assistance.
For existing tenants, EIV information will be reviewed on an annual basis at each annual certification.
Tenants shall be notified of any discrepancies in the EIV data and given an opportunity to dispute and discuss the findings. The data contained and provided by the EIV system is subject to the provisions of the Federal Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552 as amended) and other regulations governing the privacy of information. All EIV originals shall be retained during the term of the tenancy and for at least three years thereafter, at which time they shall be destroyed by shredding.
VIII. PROCEDURES FOR REJECTING INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Once the Applicant’s screening has been completed and all documents were evaluated, any applications not meeting the requirements will be rejected.
If application was rejected, the Applicant will receive a written notification. The applicant has the right to respond in writing or request a meeting to dispute the rejection within fourteen (14) days of the notice.
- OCCUPANCY STANDARDS
| Unit Size | Minimum Occupancy | Maximum Occupancy |
| 1 Bedroom | 1 | 2 |
| 2 Bedroom | 2 | 2 |
X. UNIT TRANSFER POLICY
Unit Transfers are permitted and must be made in writing. Applicant may request a unit transfer for the following reasons:
- A unit transfer because of family size;
- A new unit because of changes in family composition;
- A unit transfer for a medical reason certified by a doctor;
- A unit transfer based on the need for an accessible unit.
The evidence of medical necessity must come from a qualified third party, such as a physician, licensed health professional, professional representing a social service agency, or disability agency or clinic.
Transfer request for reasonable accommodation by Tenants with disability must be accompanied by a doctor’s written statement. Ansonborough House will be responsible for the cost of the reasonable accommodation transfers unless doing so will cause a financial or administrative burden.
Transfer requests from current Tenants will be placed on an in-house transfer Waiting List in the order they are received.
XI. POLICIES FOR APPLYING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT (VAWA) PROTECTIONS
(a) VAWA Protections
Ansonborough House supports and assists victims of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking and protect victims, as well as members of their family, from being denied housing or from losing their HUD assisted housing as a consequence of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking.
Applicants will not be denied housing based on consequences that are the affect of being a victim of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking.
Ansonborough House provides Applicants and Tenants the option to complete the Certification of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence or Stalking, form HUD91066. The certification form is available at the Office. Alternately, in lieu of the certification form or in addition to it, Ansonborough House may accept police record or court records, or other documentation attested under the penalty of perjury in the matter.
(b) Confidentiality of Information.
Ansonborough House will act in confidentiality and in compliance with HUD.
The identity of the victim and all information provided to Ansonborough House relating to the incident(s) of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking will be kept in confidence and will not be entered into any shared database or provided to a related entity, except to the extent that the disclosure is:
- Requested or consented to by the individual in writing;
- Required for use in an eviction proceeding; or
- Otherwise required by applicable law.
The HUD-approved certification form provides notice to the tenant of the confidentiality of the form and the limits thereof.
XII. NON-DISCRIMINATION
Ansonborough House does not discriminate against Applicants or Tenants based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.
Applicant(s) who meet the minimum age requirement of sixty-two (62) years will not be discriminated against because of age. Under Age Discrimination Act of 1975 it is not a violation to use age as screening criteria in a particular program if age distinctions are permitted by statute for such program.
It is the policy of Ansonborough House to provide housing on an equal opportunity basis in compliance with all applicable nondiscrimination and equal opportunity laws, and in accordance with federal regulations, guidelines established by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and consistent with HUD approved Affirmative Fair Market Plan and all Section 504 Requirements.
[1] The list of required documents for citizenship eligibility may be found in HUD 4350.3 REV-1 Handbook Section 3-28.
[2] Mixed family – a family with one or more ineligible family members and one or more eligible family members. See HUD 4350.3 REV-1 Handbook, Chapter 3, Section 1.
[3] See HUD 4350.3 REV-1 Handbook, Eligibility for Assistance and Occupancy 3-8.
[4] See 24 CFR 891.505 and 891.035 for detailed definition of “disability” and “handicapped person”.
[5] HUD 4350.3 Handbook Tenant Selection Plan 4-18.
[6] See more details in HUD 4350.3 Handbook Eligibility For Assistance and Occupancy 3-40.
