How to Qualify?

When the waiting list is open, DMHA accepts applications only from families whose head or spouse is at least 18 years of age.

To be eligible for participation, an applicant must meet HUD's criteria, as well as any permissible additional criteria established by DMHA.

The HUD eligibility criteria are:

An applicant must be a "family". A Family may be a single person or a group of persons.

A "family" includes a family with or without a child or children. A group of persons consisting of two or more elderly persons or disabled persons living together, or one or more elderly or disabled persons living with one or more live-in aides is a family. DMHA determines if any other group of persons qualifies as a "family".

A single person family may be:

An elderly person

A displaced person

Individuals may not be considered disabled for eligibility purposes solely on the basis of any drug or alcohol dependence.

Any other single person

A family also includes two or more persons who intend to share residency whose income and resources are available to meet the family's needs and who have a history as a family unit or show evidence of a stable family relationship.

A child who is temporarily away from home because of placement in foster care is considered a member of the family. This provision only pertains to the foster child's temporary absence from the home, and is not intended to artificially enlarge the space available for other family members.

An applicant must be within the appropriate Income Limits. The family's gross annual household income cannot exceed the income limits listed below for the number of people who are in the household.

For 2005, the income limits for the Section 8 Program are:

1 person	2 person	3 person	4 person	5 person	6 person	7 person	8 person
$21,050	$24,100	$27,100	$30.100	$32,500	$34,900	$37,300	$39,750

An applicant must furnish Social Security Numbers for all family members age six and older

An applicant must furnish declaration of Citizenship or Eligible Immigrant Status and verification where required. At least one member of the applicant family must be either a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status before DMHA may provide any financial assistance.

DMHA will apply the following criteria, in addition grounds for denial of admission to the program:

Families whose income is within the applicable income limits but whose Total Tenant Payment equals or exceeds the payment standards may be denied assistance.

Families must not have committed fraud in connection with any federal housing program.

Families who have been evicted from public housing or by Section 8 owners because of engaging in drug-related criminal activity with the past three years will be denied admission.The three-year period begins on the date of such eviction. If the family as a previous participant in public housing or the Section 8 program, was terminated for drugrelated or violent criminal activity by a family member, if that family member is no longer a member of the household and will not be a member of the household after the family is admitted, the family may be admitted but will be required to sign an agreement that the family member will not reside with the family. If the family violates the agreement, the family will be subject to termination of assistance.

The family must not have violated any family obligation during a previous participation in the Section 8 program for three years prior to final eligibility determination.DMHA will make an exception, if the family member who violated the family obligation is not a current member of the household on the application.

Families must not have an outstanding debt owed to any assistance program arising out of any previous tenancy in any of the programs that DMHA administers or any Section 8 funded program (ex: Section 236 housing, Section 8 set aside).

The family must be in good standing regarding any current payment agreement made with another PHA for a previous debt incurred, before DMHA will allow participation in its Section 8 program.

DMHA will check criminal history for all adults in the household to determine whether any member of the family has engaged in drug-related or violent criminal activity.For the purposes of this policy, drug related or violent criminal activity will be construed to mean that if a member of the current family has been arrested within the past three-year period.

If any applicant deliberately misrepresents the information on which eligibility or tenant rent is established, DMHA will deny assistance and may refer the family file/record to the proper authorities for appropriate disposition.

If a family has engaged in or threatened abusive or violent behavior to DMHA personnel, the family will be denied admissions to the program for a period of three years from the date of incident.

DMHA will prohibit admitting any person to the program in cases where DMHA determines that there is reasonable cause to believe that the person is illegally using a controlled substance, or abuses alcohol in a way that may interfere with the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents.This includes cases where DMHA determines that there is a pattern of illegal use of a controlled substance, or a pattern of alcohol abuse. DMHA will consider the use of a controlled substance or alcohol to be a pattern if there is more than two incidents during the previous three month period.

DMHA must permanently deny admission to the Section 8 program of persons convicted of manufacturing or producing methamphetamine (commonly referred to as "speed") in violation of any Federal, State, or local law as well as a registered sex offender who is subject to lifetime registration requirements under the state sex offender registration programs.