HUD Handbook 4350.3 § 3-15

A.          Program eligibility determines whether applicants are eligible for assistance.

          B.          Project eligibility establishes whether applicants are eligible to reside in the
                      specific project to which they have applied. Three things may affect the match

between an applicant and the applicant’s eligibility for occupancy in a particular
                      project:

                      1.     The extent to which all or some of the units in a project are designated for
                             specific family types, such as those who are elderly or disabled;

                      2.     The project-specific occupancy standards established by the owner, the
                             family size, and the unit sizes available in the project; and

                      3.     In some instances, a family’s intention to lease using a housing-choice
                             voucher subsidy that may be used in some projects and not in others.

          C.          Although individual programs often serve more than one tenant population,
                      individual projects might not.

          D.          There are multiple steps in determining the match between a project’s eligibility
                      requirements and a particular applicant’s eligibility to live in the project. Steps to
                      review applications are:

                      1.     Confirm the eligibility rules for the project;

                      2.     Determine the applicant family type in relation to project eligibility rules;

                      3.     Determine the current occupancy of project units in relation to the
                             populations intended to be served;

                      4.     Compare the applicant’s characteristics in relation to the availability of
                             units; and

                      5.     Decide the appropriate response to the applicant: (1) meets eligibility and
                             unit available, (2) meets eligibility but unit not available, or (3) does not
                             meet eligibility.