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Priorities & Preferences for Rental Assistance (Section 8)

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Priority Information Sheet
Preference Information Sheet

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Priority One Categories

1a. Disaster: Displacement due to a disaster, such as flood or fire, that results in the un-inhabitability of an applicant's apartment or dwelling unit not due to the fault of the applicant and/or household member or beyond the applicant’s control.

Verification must include:

  • A copy of the incident report from the local fire department, and
  • A copy of his or her lease, or a statement from the property owner, verifying that he or she as the tenant of record at the affected address, and
  • Verification from the fire department, the inspectional services department, the health department or other appropriate agency that the dwelling unit is now uninhabitable, and
  • The cause of the disaster if known.

1b. Condemned Housing: The applicant’s housing has been declared unfit for habitation by an agency of government through no fault of the applicant.

Verification requirements are:

  • Third-party, written verification from the appropriate unit or agency of government certifying that the applicant has been displaced or will be displaced in the next ninety days, as a result of action by that agency; and
  • The precise reason(s) for such displacement.


1c. Court-Ordered/No-Fault Eviction: Eviction pursuant to an Order for Judgment (or Agreement for Judgment) issued by a court because of landlord action beyond the applicant’s ability to control or prevent, and the action occurred despite the applicant’s having met all previously imposed conditions of occupancy and displacement was not the result of failure to comply with HUD and state policies with respect to occupancy of underoccupied and overcrowded units or failure to accept a transfer to another unit in accordance with a court order or policies or procedures under a HUD-approved desegregation plan.

Verification requirements (documents are required):

  • Submission of a fully completed Certificate of Involuntary Displacement by Court-Ordered/No-Fault Eviction; and
  • A copy of the Notice to Quit issued by the landlord or property manager; and
  • A copy of the Summons and Complaint available from the court; and
  • A copy of the Answer or other responses filed by the applicant in court in response to the Complaint, if any; and
  • A copy of the Judgment of the Court (Agreement for Judgment, Order for Judgment and Findings of Fact, or Default Judgment); and
  • If applicable, a copy of the execution issued by the court.

Download a copy of 1c: Certificate of Involuntary Displacement by Court-ordered/No-fault Eviction (.pdf)


1d. Domestic Violence: Defined as displacement due to continuing actual or threatened physical violence (including sexual abuse) directed against one or more of the household members by another member of the same household or by a non-household member residing in the dwelling unit.

Verification must include:

  • Submission of a fully completed Certificate of Involuntary Displacement Due to Domestic Violence or
  • Third-party, written verification from the local police department, a social service agency, a court of competent jurisdiction, a clergy member, a physician, or a public or private facility that provides shelter or counseling to the victims of domestic violence.

Such a verification will not be considered valid unless it:

  • Describes how the situation came to verifier's attention: and
  • Indicates that the threats and/or violence are of a recent (within the past 6 months) or continuing nature if the applicant is still residing in the dwelling where the violence has occurred or is occurring.
  • Indicates that the applicant has been displaced because of the threats and/or violence or that the applicant is in imminent danger where he or she now resides.
  • The applicant must supply the name and address of the abusive or threatening household member or other legal occupant of the dwelling, if not already provided;
  • Providedocumentation that the applicant and the alleged abuser were residents of the same dwelling unit at the time the alleged abuse occurred.

Download a copy of 1d: Certificate of Involuntary Displacement Due to Domestic Violence (.pdf)


1e. Homelessness: A household lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime habitation OR the primary nighttime dwelling is one of the following:
  • A supervised public or private shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (includes welfare hotels, congregate shelters and transitional housing); or
  • a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping place for human beings.

    Verification requirements are:

  • Submission of a Certificate of Homelessness fully completed by an appropriate source or the applicant's signed statement that he/she lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence; or his/her primary nighttime residence is supervised public or private shelter designed to provide temporary housing accommodations (i.e. welfare hotels, congregate shelters and transitional housing), a public or private place not designed or used as a regular sleeping place for human beings, OR
  • A third-party written verification from a public or private facility that provides shelter for homeless individuals, the local police department, or a social services agency, certifying the applicant’s homeless status in accordance with the definition in this policy.

    NOTE: Persons living with residents of public or private housing DO NOT qualify as homeless.

    Download a copy of 1e: Certificate of Homelessness (.pdf)


1f. Danger of Reprisal: Relocation is required because: (a) a household member provided information or testimony on criminal activities to a law enforcement agency; and (b) based upon a threat assessment, a law enforcement agency recommends the relocation of the household to avoid or minimize risk of violence against household members as reprisal for providing such information. Verification requirements are:
  • Submission of a fully completed Certificate of Involuntary Displacement to Avoid Reprisal or documentation from a law enforcement agency that the applicant and/or a household member provided information on criminal activity; and
  • Documentation that, following a threat assessment conducted by the agency, the agency recommends the relocation/re-housing of the household to avoid or minimize the threat of violence or reprisal to or against the household member(s) for providing such information. This includes situations in which the applicant and/or household member(s) are themselves the victims of such crimes and have provided information (testimony) to a law enforcement agency.

Download a copy of 1f: Certificate of Involuntary Displacement to Avoid Reprisal (.pdf)


1g. Victim of Hate Crimes: A member of the household has been a victim of one or more hate crimes AND the household has vacated a dwelling unit because of this crime OR the fear associated with the crime has destroyed the peaceful enjoyment of the dwelling unit.

Verification must include:

  • Submission of a fully completed Certificate of Involuntary Displacement by Hate Crimes or documentation from a law enforcement agency that the household member(s) was a victim of such crime(s); and has vacated the dwelling because of such crime(s) or has experienced fear associated with such crime(s) and the fear has destroyed the peaceful enjoyment of their current dwelling unit; and
  • proof that the applicant is a tenant of record.

Download a copy of 1g: Certificate of Involuntary Displacement Due to Hate Crimes (.pdf)


1h. Inaccessibility of Dwelling Unit (disabled individuals only): A member of the household has a mobility or other impairment that makes the person unable to use a critical element of the current apartment or development AND the owner is not legally obligated to make changes to the apartment or dwelling unit that would make these critical elements accessible to the household member with the disability.

Verification requirements are:

  • The name of the legal occupant who is unable to use the critical element;
  • A written statement from a qualified healthcare provider verifying that the household member has a disability (but not necessarily the nature of the disability) and identifying the critical element of the dwelling which is not accessible and the reasons why it is not accessible;
  • A statement from the landlord or official of a government or other agency providing service to such disabled persons explaining the reason(s) that the landlord is not required to make changes which would render the dwelling accessible to the individual as a reasonable accommodation.

Download a copy of 1h: Certificate of Involuntary Displacement by Inaccessibility of Dwelling Unit (.pdf)


1i. Other Government Action: The applicant is required to permanently move from their residence by Federal, State, or Local governmental action such as code enforcement or a development program. .

Verification requirements are:

  • Third party, written notification from the appropriate unit or agency of government certifying that the applicant has been displaced or will be displaced in the next ninety days, as a result of action by the agency
  • The precise reason(s) for such displacement


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