HUD Handbook 7465.1 § 2-1

a.    POLICY

         (1)   Before a PHA can put a family on the waiting list
               or admit a family as a tenant, it must obtain a
               written application which includes all the
               information the PHA needs to determine whether the
               family can be admitted, what kind of unit it will
               need, what priority it will have for admission,
               and what rent it will pay.

         (2)   Unless the waiting list is closed, a PHA must
               accept an application from a person or family
               which wants to apply, even if an informal
               discussion indicates that the applicant may not be
               eligible.

         (3)   The application must be dated, time-stamped, and
               referred to a central tenant selection and
               assignment office for processing.

         (4)   All applications must be processed to the extent
               necessary to determine whether the applicant is
               eligible.

         (5)   If the PHA has general occupancy projects
               constructed prior to 1978, the PHA must notify
               applicants with children under age seven of the
               dangers of lead-based paint poisoning and whether
               blood lead level screening is available for those
               children. If blood lead level screening is
               available, the applicant must be advised to notify
               the PHA if any of the applicant's children under
               seven who are tested has an elevated blood lead
               level.

         (6)   Prior to taking applications and during periods
               when application taking is suspended, PHAs may
               maintain a list of names, addresses, and telephone
               numbers of persons who are interested in admission
               and apparently eligible. The PHA should make it
               clear that this does not constitute an application
               and does not determine the date and time for
               purposes of position on the waiting list. (See
               paragraph 2-3 for a discussion on closing and
               reopening waiting lists.)

    b.   DISCUSSION

         (1)   HUD does not provide PHAs with a standard

               application form. The PHA may develop its own
               form or other method of organizing the
               information, or use a form or method that another
               PHA or entity has developed.

(2)   The application may be filled out by the applicant
               or by the interviewer. In either case, skillful
               interviewing by the PHA can often provide
               information which the PHA needs but the applicant
               might fail to report.

         (3)   PHAs would usually need to collect the following
               information:

               (a)   The names of all persons who would be living
                     in the unit, their sex, date of birth, and
                     relationship;

               (b) The applicant's address and a telephone
               number;

               (c)   Family characteristics (e.g., veteran) or
                     circumstances (e.g. , living in substandard
                     housing) which would qualify for tenant
                     selection preferences;

               (d)   Information about previous landlords and
                     anyone else the PHA would want to contact to
                     determine the applicant's suitability for
                     admission;

               (e) An estimate of the family's anticipated
               income for the next twelve months and the sources
               of that income;

               (f)   The names of employers, banks, and any other
                     information the PHA would need to verify the
                     applicant's income and deductions, and to
                     verify the family composition; and

               (g)   The names and telephone numbers of persons to
                     contact in an emergency. This would be
                     especially important for elderly and
                     handicapped applicants.

         (4)   In conjunction with taking the application, the
               PHA should request whatever documentation it will
               need (e.g.. birth certificates, tax returns) to
               verify the information the applicant has provided.
               The PHA may want to make copies of the documents
               or notations about their content.

         (5)   In addition to obtaining information from the

                  applicant, the PHA should describe the public
                  housing program and its requirements and provide
                  specific information on the distribution of units
                  by number of bedrooms. The PHA should also answer
                  any questions the applicant might have.

(6)   The PHA should inform applicants about other
                  housing assistance programs the PHA operates
                  (e.g., Section 8 Existing) and, if a family is
                  interested, advise them how to apply.

            (7)   The PHA should, where possible, provide materials
                  for sight-impaired and hearing-impaired persons.

            (8)   PHAs may take applications at more than one
                  location as long as the processing occurs at one
                  place.

                  (a)   A PHA serving a large jurisdiction may want
                        to take applications in outlying areas on
                        specific days.

                  (b)   PHAs may make special arrangements to take
                        the applications of persons who are unable to
                        come to the PHA offices, such as handicapped
                        or disabled persons.

            (9)   PHAs which maintain a list of names, addresses,
                  and telephone numbers of interested persons during
                  periods when application taking is suspended
                  should:

                  (a)   Either put everyone who is interested on the
                        list or have clear and objective criteria for
                        refusing to do so; and

                  (b)   Establish procedures for notifying those on
                        the list that they may apply once application
                        taking is resumed. Everyone on the list
                        should be notified simultaneously.

            (10) PHAs should be careful to avoid discouraging
                 families from applying for public housing or
                 rejecting applicants out of hand based on their
                 "apparent ineligibility."

       c.   REFERENCES

            Annual Contributions Contract, Section 208

            Federal civil rights laws listed in paragraph 1-3(c)

            24 CFR 1.4

24 CFR 1.6

            24 CFR 100

            24 CFR 107.30

            24 CFR 960

            24 CFR 965, Subpart H (51 FR 5677)