Income Limits:

• In order to apply for family public housing one's household income must fall below certain income limits.
• View a chart of income limits for different family sizes

Priority Categories:

• The BHA uses a system of priority categories to determine an applicants place on the waiting list. Applicants may be able to receive a priority if they are victims of circumstances such as domestic violence, disaster or landlord displacement, homelessness, condemned housing, hate crime or displacement due to disability. An applicant should list any priority he/she may qualify for during the application process.
• See a list of priorities and download documents

US Citizenship:

• HUD has established rules for federally-funded public housing that restrict the amount of housing aid available to families with members who are not US citizens or legally authorized residents.
• Read more about HUD's rules (.pdf)

Prior Applicants:

• Those who falsified information provided on a BHA application cannot reapply for 3 years.
• Those who owe money to another subsidized housing program cannot apply for BHA public housing until the debt is paid.
• Applicants who claimed Priority Status, but refused housing when offered, cannot reapply for housing using the same priority for 1 year. Only Priority One applicants will be made a second and final offer. If the offer is rejected, they will be removed from all waiting lists and may not reapply for the same priority status for 1 year from the last refusal date.
• Those found ineligible for housing cannot re-apply for 18 months.

Lease Compliance:

• All applicants must be willing to abide by the BHA Public Housing Lease. Failure to follow the requirements of the lease may result in eviction.
• Read the Boston Housing Authority Public Housing Lease (.pdf)
• To see the lease in other languages, click here

Pet Policy:

• All applicants must be willing to abide by the BHA Family Pet Policy. Failure to follow the requirements of the policy may result in eviction.
• Read the Boston Housing Authority Family Pet Policy (.pdf)