Understanding why your public or subsidized housing application was denied

A housing authority or landlord can deny your application for public or subsidized housing for different reasons.

Reasons for why you can be denied depend on:

• Whether you applied for a federal or state program; and
• The specific type of public and subsidized housing you applied to.

For example, the rules for public housing are not the same as rules for subsidized housing. Also, federal and state programs have different eligibility requirements.

Below, you can find more information about the reasons you can be denied from:

• Federal public housing program
• State public housing program
• Project-based Voucher (PBV)
• Alternative Housing Voucher (AHVP)
• Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)
• Federally subsidized multifamily housing
• State subsidized multifamily housing

Denial from public housing

A housing authority may deny your application. There are also some situations in which a housing authority must deny your application.

Because state and federal rules differ, if you applied for both state and federal public housing, you may be denied from one but approved for the other.

You should read your denial letter carefully to see the reason for denial. If you have any questions about what your denial letter means, you should call the housing authority.

If you are applying for federal public housing, a housing authority must deny your application if it finds that you or any member of your household:

• Currently uses a controlled substance illegally. The Housing Authority must also deny your application they believe that there is a pattern that may threaten other residents’ health, safety, or right to peaceful.
• Has a pattern of abuse of alcohol that the housing authority believes may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of other residents. Before denying a person housing based on past illegal drug use or based on past or current alcohol abuse, a housing authority may consider proof of rehabilitation.

The Federal Public Housing Authority may also—but is not required to—deny your application if it finds that:

• You or someone in your household has habits or practices that may negatively impact other residents or the project environment. Generally, this includes looking at whether you have a history of disturbing neighbors, destroying property, or other habits that may threaten the health, safety, or welfare of tenants.

Look at your Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) for more information about what the Housing Authority will and will not consider. These policies vary a lot.

For example, your ACOP may say that criminal offenses that occurred more than three years ago may not be important. This is called a “reasonable lookback period.”

Unlike federal law, Massachusetts’ law does not require a state public housing authority to deny your application for any one reason. This means that applicants who may be denied public housing at the federal level could still be approved for state housing.

In Massachusetts, an application for state public housing may be denied if the applicant or anyone in their household:

• Has history of upsetting neighbors. If a housing authority finds that this behavior would threaten the rights of other tenants or the rights of housing authority employees, it may deny your application.
• Caused damage or destruction of property at a prior residence in a way that, if repeated, would harm the public housing development or any of its units.
• Has housekeeping or living habits that:
  • Threaten the health and safety of yourself, other tenants, or public housing employees.
  • Negatively affect the safe and sanitary condition of all or part of the housing.

  Before rejecting your application, you may be able to share more information about the circumstances that show why you should be admitted into public housing.

  If you are applying for federal public housing, a housing authority must deny your application if it finds that you or any member of your household:

  • Currently uses a controlled substance illegally. The Housing Authority must also deny your application they believe that there is a pattern that may threaten other residents’ health, safety, or right to peaceful.
  • Has a pattern of abuse of alcohol that the housing authority believes may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of other residents. Before denying a person housing based on past illegal drug use or based on past or current alcohol abuse, a housing authority may consider proof of rehabilitation.

  The Federal Public Housing Authority may also—but is not required to—deny your application if it finds that:

  • You or someone in your household has habits or practices that may negatively impact other residents or the project environment. Generally, this includes looking at whether you have a history of disturbing neighbors, destroying property, or other habits that may threaten the health, safety, or welfare of tenants.

  Look at your Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) for more information about what the Housing Authority will and will not consider. These policies vary a lot.

  For example, your ACOP may say that criminal offenses that occurred more than three years ago may not be important. This is called a “reasonable lookback period.”