Rental Assistance Program:

Program families whose Total Tenant Payment, computed in accordance with the federal regulations, does not exceed the gross rent.

At application, the family must pay any monies owed in full to the Section 8 Office, in order to be considered eligible for issuance of a Voucher. This would include all past

participation in any Public or Section 8 housing program.

The family must have left any previous tenancy under the Section 8 Program or Public Housing without being in violation of a family obligation during the last year under it’s assisted living programs participation.

The Section 8 Office can grant an exception if the family member who violated the family obligation is not a current member of the household on the application.

The family must not engage in drug-related criminal activity, violent criminal activity, alcohol abuse activity or sexual abuse offenses, including criminal activity by any family member, or their guests.

Everyone in the household who is 18 years and older must provide the Section 8 Office with a criminal check from all jurisdictions where they lived for the past 5 years.

Documents required under the family obligation to supply such certification, release, information or documentation as Section 8 Office or HUD determine to be necessary and all verification forms required by the Section 8 Office must be supplied by the family.

Initial screening for drug-related criminal activity, violent criminal activity, alcohol abuse activity or sexual abuse offenses, will be comprised of routine inquiries of the family, and any other information provided to the Section 8 Office, and a review of any other documents including criminal checks. However, if the Section 8 Office determines that the criminal check provided to the Section 8 Office has criminal and/or violent misdemeanors, the Section 8 Office may deny the family admission.

Drug-related activity means:

The felonious (criminal activity classified as a felony under Federal, State or local law) manufacture, sale or distribution, or the possession with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute, a controlled substance (as defined in the Controlled Substance Act);

The felonious use or possession (other than with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute), of a controlled substance, except that such felonious use or possession must have occurred within three (3) years before the date that the Section 8 Office provides notice to an applicant or participant of the Section 8 Office's determination to deny admission or terminate assistance.

Drug-related criminal activity does not include the use or possession, if the Family member can demonstrate that s/he:

Has an addiction to a controlled substance, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment; and

“Has recovered” from such addiction and does not currently use or possess controlled substances. “Has recovered” means that a person is currently

participating and making satisfactory progress or has completed a drug rehabilitation program within the prior 12 months and does not currently use or possess controlled substances.

Violent criminal activity includes any felonious criminal activity or misdemeanors that have as one of its elements the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another.

For the purposes of this policy, this is construed to mean that if a member of the current family has been convicted of any felonious or misdemeanor violent criminal activity within the past three (3) years , they will be determined to have engaged in violent criminal activity.

The Section 8 Office will not be obligated to ferret out information concerning a family's criminal activities as part of the processing of an application for assistance. Initial screening will include the requirement of a criminal check. Any inquiries will be standardized and directed to all applicants by the inclusion of the inquiry on the application form.

However, if the family indicates that they have been convicted within the prior 3 years for felonious drug-related or felonious/misdemeanor violent criminal activity, the Section 8 Office may perform the verification through the court system(s).

Repeated incidents of criminal activities at Section 8 units will be the basis for denial of assistance or termination.

E. RESIDENCY PREFERENCE Residency Preference definition:

Live or work in the City of Alexandria, Virginia, or have a bonafide job offer from an employer in the City of Alexandria, Virginia.

For all applications regardless of date:

If an applicant changes his/her residency this has no effect on eligibility because their residency will be recognized. There will be no change in their waiting list order simply because of a change in residency. Once the applicant has met the residency requirement, the applicant will be recognized as a resident.

Families who qualify for a Residency preference will be admitted before other families who are non-residents.

For applications dated on or after January 1, 1999:

Residents and non-residents will be placed on the waiting list by date, time and aggregated total based on the total number of local preferences the applicants declare. Each local preference not including residency will be given one point.

Other factors that will affect all applications regardless of application date is income targeting.

ARHA must ensure that at lease 25% of its admissions are as 31% or above the medium income.

F. SUITABILITY OF FAMILY

In issuing its vouchers, the Section 8 Office may not screen for factors, which relate to the suitability of the applicant family as tenants. It is the responsibility of the owner to screen Voucher holders as to suitability and acceptability. Such factors include (but are not limited to) prior rent paying history, outstanding debts owed to previous owners, history of damage to rental properties, police record, employment, etc.

However, the Section 8 Office may take into consideration, before issuing a voucher, whether the applicant owes money to the Section 8 Office or another Section 8 Office, or any public

housing agency where the applicant may have lived and this will be the basis of denial if the restitution is not made in full.

G. PROHIBITED ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

The Section 8 Office’s decision whether to admit an applicant to the program may not be based on an applicant's suitability for tenancy. The HA may not deny an applicant admission to the program based on where the family lives before admission to the program.

Admission may not be based on where the family will live with assistance under the program.

The Section 8 Office is prohibited from considering admission to the program based on family characteristics and discrimination because family members who are unwed parents, recipients of public assistance, or children born out of wedlock, because a family includes children (familial status), age, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, or whether a family decides to participates in a Family Self Sufficiency Program.

The Section 8 Office will follow HUD’s income targeting requirements. An applicant does not have any right or entitlement to be listed on the waiting list. ARHA must admit applicants for participation in accordance with HUD regulations and with policies stated in the ARHA's Administrative Plan.

H. CHANGES WHICH OCCUR BETWEEN FINAL ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION AND CONTRACT EXECUTION DATE

Changes, which occur during this period, will affect eligibility to lease the unit. For example, if the single person is pregnant and aborts between final eligibility determination and effective lease date or if the family goes over the income limits, this may affect choice of unit size or eligibility. The family may not be able to be admitted. The circumstances of each case will be reviewed and a determination made to see if the family is still eligible.

The date of the signature of the person qualified to sign Housing Assistance Payments Contracts signifies the HAP Contract execution date.

A decision relating to eligibility will be made in writing including the reason the family is denied admission. The family will have a right to an informal review.

After the required signatures on the Housing Assistance Contract Payments (HAP), the effective date becomes the date of execution.

CHAPTER 5

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION