The Vallejo Housing Authority provides the following information for understanding the eligibility requirements and other key considerations or processes for applying to the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Income Eligibility
To be eligible for assistance, an applicant must qualify as a family.
The VHA is responsible for ensuring that every individual and family admitted to the HCV program meets all program eligibility requirements. This includes any individual approved to join the family after the family has been admitted to the program. The family must provide any information needed by the VHA to confirm eligibility and determine the level of the family's assistance.
Income limits are used for eligibility only at admission. Eligibility is established by comparing a family's annual income with HUD's published income limits. To be income-eligible, a family must meet one of the following low-income targets:
- Low-income family - A family whose annual income does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, adjusted for family size.
- Very low-income family - A family whose annual income does not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the area, adjusted for family size.
- Extremely low-income family - A family whose annual income does not exceed 30 percent of the median income for the area, adjusted for family size.
Criminal Background Check
Prior to receiving a Housing Choice Voucher, HUD regulations allow the VHA to screen a participants Criminal background to determine if they have been convicted of violent or drug related crime. All other screening is left to prospective landlords who are encouraged to develop selection criteria in accordance with Federal Fair Housing requirements. This may include a review of credit history, previous rental history and personal references
Family Household Type
Family And Household
The terms family and household have different meanings in the HCV program.
Family
To be eligible for assistance, an applicant must qualify as a family. A family may be a single person or a group of persons. Family as defined by HUD includes:
- A family with a child or children
- Two or more elderly or disabled persons living together
- One or more elderly or disabled persons living with one or more live-in aides
- A single person
A single person family may be a/an:
- Elderly person
- Displaced person
- Disabled person
- Other single person
The VHA has the discretion to determine if any other group of persons qualifies as a family.
A family also includes two or more individuals who are not related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other operation of law but who either can demonstrate that they have lived together previously or certify that each individual's income and other resources will be available to meet the needs of the family.
Each family must identify the individuals to be included in the family at the time of application and must update this information if the family's composition changes.
Household
Household is a broader term that includes additional people who, with the VHA's permission, live in an assisted unit, such as live-in aides, foster children, and foster adults.
Reasonable Accommodations