How to Apply for a HUD Apartment
- 1). View HUD's latest income limits to see if you qualify for public housing. HUD only accepts applications from households with combined earnings at or below 80 percent of their area's median income. Specific income figures fluctuate by household size and area. For instance, a family of four living in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, metropolitan area earns 80 percent of their area's median income at $48,800, as of 2010. In the Detroit metro area, this number rises to $55,850.
- 2). Contact the PHA that runs HUD's public housing program for your area. Search for the appropriate PHA at HUD's website.
- 3). Inquire about the status of your PHA's public housing waiting list. Some PHAs may have units immediately available; however, you should expect waiting lists in most places.
- 4). Ask if your PHA uses local preferences to place families on its public housing waiting list. HUD gives PHAs the discretion to make decisions on preferences. The aim is to be get benefits to the neediest families as quickly as possible. PHAs often give more favorable waiting list positions to the homeless and families that government action or disaster have displaced.
- 5). Complete an application. The application helps your PHA determine your eligibility and, if it does not have open units, gets you a spot on the public housing waiting list. You will need to include basic contact information, details about all household members, current and anticipated income, bank information and rental history, which includes your current and prior landlord's contact information. When your PHA approves your application and the appropriate unit size becomes available, you will sign a lease with your PHA before relocating.
