What is the Public Housing Program?
Bonair Towers and Royal Palm Towers developments are Public Housing for the Elderly. You must be age 62 or older to apply to have your name placed on the waitlist. You must income qualify for public housing. If you apply for Elderly housing and do not meet the age requirements, your application will with withdrawn without notice to you.

WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING? Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single-family houses to Highrise apartments for elderly families. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers Federal aid to local housing agencies.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. HACFM determines your eligibility based on: 1) annual gross income; 2) whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and 3) U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. If you are eligible, the HACFM will check your references to make sure you and your family will be good tenants. HACFM will deny admission to any applicant whose habits and practices may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other tenants or on the project's environment.

HACFMs use income limits developed by HUD. HUD sets the lower income limits at 80% and very low-income limits at 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which you choose to live. Income limits vary from area to area so you may be eligible at one HACFM but not at another. The HACFM can provide you with the income levels for your area and family size, or you can also find the income limits here on the internet.

HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORK? The application must be submitted on line. If you are handicap or have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation, contact HACFM or the property where you want to apply for. HACFM needs to collect the following information to determine eligibility:

(1) Names of all persons who would be living in the unit, their sex, date of birth, and relationship to the family head;
(2) Your present address and telephone number;
(3) Family characteristics (e.g., veteran) or circumstances (e.g., living in substandard housing) that might qualify the family for tenant selection preferences;
(4) Names and addresses of your current and previous landlords for information about your family's suitability as a tenant;
(5) An estimate of your family's anticipated income for the next twelve months and the sources of the income;
(6) The names and addresses of employers, banks, and any other information the HACFM would need to verify your income and deductions, and to verify the family composition; and
(7) HACFM also may visit you in your home to interview you and your family members to see how you manage the upkeep of your current home. After obtaining this information, the HACFM representative should describe the public housing program and its requirements and answer any questions you might have.

WILL I NEED TO PRODUCE ANY DOCUMENTATION? Yes, the HACFM representative will request whatever documentation is needed (e.g., birth certificates, tax returns) to verify the information given on your application. The HACFM will also rely on direct verification from your employer, etc. You will be asked to sign a form to authorize release of pertinent information to the HACFM.

WHEN WILL I BE NOTIFIED? HACFM has to provide written notification. If the HACFM determines that you are eligible, your name will be put on a waiting list, unless the HACFM is able to assist you immediately. Once your name is reached on the waiting list, the HACFM will contact you. If it is determined that you are ineligible, the HACFM must say why and, if you wish, you can request an informal hearing.

WILL I HAVE TO SIGN A LEASE? If you are offered a house or apartment and accept it, you will have to sign a lease with the HACFM. You may have to give the HACFM a security deposit. You and the HACFM representative should go over the lease together. This will give you a better understanding of your responsibilities as a tenant and the HACFM's responsibilities as a landlord.

ARE THERE ANY SELECTION PREFERENCES? Sometimes there are. Giving preference to specific groups of families enables an HACFM to direct their limited housing resources to the families with the greatest housing needs. Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available to HUD and the local HACFMs, long waiting periods are common. In fact, an HACFM may close its waiting list when there are more families on the list than can be assisted in the near future. HACFM has the discretion to establish preferences to reflect needs in its own community. These preferences will be included in the HACFMs written policy manual.