Applying to a regional non-profit list

Massachusetts is divided into eight regions, each served by a regional non-profit organization. These non-profits administer the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) for the Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). All eight non-profits use the same application. An applicant may choose to apply to any one of them. A voucher from a regional non-profit may be used anywhere in the state for the first year. After that, a voucher may be used anywhere in the United States.

Unlike the Centralized Waiting List, the only way to apply to a regional non-profit list is with a paper application. We will walk through the process step-by-step. For the purposes of this exercise, we will assume that Raphael Martinez is helping his daughter Anita, who has a disability, apply. Raphael is Anita’s legal guardian. Anita lives at home with her family. (Please note that nothing on this website is intended as legal advice, there is no guarantee the information provided is accurate, and using the information provided does not guarantee one will receive a housing voucher. For a complete legal disclaimer, please click here.)

1. Print out the application.
2. The first section of the application is called “Head of Household Information”. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)
   
   • Because Anita is the person who will use the voucher, Raphael uses Anita’s Social Security number and name to fill out the application.
   • Because he is Anita’s guardian and will be the one communicating with housing authorities, Raphael uses his own phone number.
   • Raphael leaves “Shelter Name”, “Shelter Address”, etc. blank, since Anita is not living in a shelter.
   • Because he is Anita’s guardian and will be the one communicating with housing authorities, Raphael uses his own email address.
3. The second section of the application is called Co-Head/Spouse of Household Information. Because Anita is the sole member of the household that will use the voucher, Raphael writes N/A next to this section. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)
4. The third section of the application is called “Household and Demographic Information”. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)
   
   • Anita will need someone to live with her to help her, so Raphael writes that two people will live in the unit.
   • Anita’s only income is her monthly SSI and Massachusetts State Supplement payments. Raphael takes these amounts, adds them together, multiplies the total by 12, and enters the result under “gross annual household income”.
   • Anita has a disability, so Raphael checks that the head of household has a disability. She is the only member of the household, so Raphael checks “No” to the question “Are there other members of the household who have a disability?”
   • Anita is not a veteran (although Raphael is), so Raphael checks “No” to the question “Is the head of household a veteran?”
   • Anita is neither homeless, living in an institution, nor formerly homeless, so Raphael checks “None of the above”. Note that had Anita been between 18 and 22 and attending a residential special needs school, Raphael would have checked “I live in a nursing home or other institution”.
   • Anita is not working, so Raphael checks “No” to the question “Is the head of household, spouse, or co-head working or about to start working?”
   • Anita is not working so Raphael checks “Where I live” to the question “Which city/town would you like to use for a residency preference?” Had Anita been working in a different community, Raphael would have needed to pick ONE community to use for local preference.
   • Raphael answers questions about race, ethnicity, and preferred language.
5. The fourth section of the application is called “Certification of Applicant”. This section asks the applicant to certify
   • that the information in the previous sections is true;
   • that the applicant understands the application is not an offer of housing;
   • that the applicant will need to provide proof of information when he/she reaches the top of the list;
   • that the applicant will notify the agency if he/she moves; and
   • that the applicant must be eligible for housing and must pass a criminal background check.

   (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

   

   • Anita is able to sign for herself. If she were not able to do so, Raphael would have signed his name and printed “(guardian)” after it. He would then attach a copy of his guardianship letter to the application when he mails it in.
6. The next step is mailing the application.
   • It is a good idea to make a photocopy of your application for your files. However, make sure you mail the original, not the photocopy.
   • Mail the application to one regional non-profit organization that you wish. Pick the regional non-profit that serves the community where the person has chosen to receive local preference. The non-profits, their mailing addresses, and the communities they serve are listed on page two of the application. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)
   • If you signed as your family member’s guardian, make sure to include a copy of the letter from the court appointing you as guardian.
   • It is a good idea to physically go to the post office and mail the application “certified mail, return receipt requested”. That way, you will be able to track it and ensure it was received. Another option is to hand carry the application to the regional non-profit agency.
7. About a month after mailing the application, send a letter to the regional non-profit, asking for written verification that your family member is on the list. If you are the guardian, enclose a copy of the letter from the court appointing you as guardian. Otherwise, your family member must be the one to sign the letter.
8. Take steps to make sure you don’t get removed from the waiting list. 1/3 of applications are dropped from the waiting list, due to not reporting an address change. Applicants often do not know they have been purged from the list. When they discover it (usually through contacting the regional non-profit to check on their status), they have to apply all over again, sometimes wasting years of waiting time.

You can view a complete copy of Anita’s hypothetical application here.

Click here to return to Applying for Section 8.

(Please note that nothing on this website is intended as legal advice, there is no guarantee the information provided is accurate, and using the information provided does not guarantee one will receive a housing voucher. For a complete legal disclaimer, please click here.)