PUBLIC HOUSING

The following includes excerpts from “HUD's Public Housing Program”.

WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING?

Public housing was established to provide rental housing for eligible low-income families, older adults, and people with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single family houses to apartment complexes for older adults, families, and people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers federal aid to local housing authorities that manage the housing for low-income residents at rents they can afford. HUD furnishes technical and professional assistance in planning, developing and managing these developments.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. A housing authority determines eligibility based on: 1) annual gross income; 2) whether the applicant qualifies as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family (single non-elderly, non-disabled adults are treated as a family unit); and 3) U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. If eligible, the housing authority will check the applicant’s rental and credit history, and can require a criminal background check to make sure the applicants do not have a criminal history. Housing authorities will deny admission to any applicant whose behavior may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other tenants or on the project's environment. Housing authorities use income limits developed by HUD. HUD sets the lower income limits at 80% and very low income limits at 50% of the area median income for the county or metropolitan area in which housing project is located. Income limits vary from area to area so a person may be eligible at one housing authority but not at another. The housing authority serving the community can provide the income levels for the area and family size. Income limits for Connecticut areas are listed on the HUD website:

http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il/il2010/select_Geography.odb

HOW TO APPLY:

Contact the your local Public Housing Authority. (Some housing authorities do not offer subsidized rental housing for families, limiting their target population to elderly or adults with disabilities.)

TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:

Search by service names:

• Housing Authorities
• Public Housing * Disabilities and Health Conditions
• Public Housing * Older Adults
• Public Housing * Families
• Public Housing * Single Adults

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SOURCE: HUD’s Public Housing Program http://www.hud.gov/renting/phprog.cfm
PREPARED BY: 211/kq
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: February2012