There are two ways to apply to the CHAMP: using a paper application; or online. The CHAMP can be used to apply for either, or both, a portable Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) voucher and a unit in state-funded public housing.
We will walk through the process step-by-step. Please note that until recently, one could only use the paper version of the CHAMP to apply for an AHVP voucher. To see detailed instructions on that section of the CHAMP, click here for step-by-step instructions on how to complete the CHAMP using a paper application.
For the purposes of this exercise, we will assume that Raphael Martinez is helping his daughter Anita, who has a developmental disability, apply. Raphael is Anita’s legal guardian. Anita is 22, and lives at home with her family. Anita is interested in applying for a unit in public housing.
Applying online
- Begin by going to https://publichousingapplication.ocd.state.ma.us/
- Click the drop down menu to “select language” if you need a different language than English, and click “Get started”.
- Click “Begin” under “Create account”.
- Create user login
- You will need to enter an email and a password, re-enter the password, and click the box that says “I’m not a robot”. In the case of our hypothetical applicant Anita, Raphael uses his email address, as Anita does not consistently open or respond to email.
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- Once you have created the login, you will need to confirm the email address.
- The next step is to electronically sign the Fair Information Practices Act – Statement of Rights.
- Step 1: My Application Form
- You are now on the applicant dashboard. Scroll down to “Step 1: My Application Form”
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- Click the “Work on my application form” button.
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- Part 1 is Contact Information.
- Raphael enters Anita’s name and date of birth, as she is the head of household.
- Part 1 is Contact Information.
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- The next section is address. Raphael enters the address of the family home. Because Anita does not consistently open or respond to mail, if she were living elsewhere, he would enter her address, then click on the mailing address box and enter the address of the family home.
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- The next section is phone and email. Raphael enters his phone and email information because Anita does not consistently act on calls or emails.
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- The next section asks for a secondary contact person or alternate address. Because Raphael has already entered his own phone and email, he enters his wife’s information here. He might alternately have chosen to enter a land line, if the family home has one, and his secondary email. He then clicks the “Save” button, then “Certify”.
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- Part 2 is Current Housing Situation. Anita is not in danger of becoming homeless, so Raphael clicks “no”. (Had he clicked “yes”, additional questions would have appeared, corresponding to those shown in the paper application above under “Current housing situation”.) He then clicks “Save”, then “Certify”.
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- Part 3 is Employment & Veteran Status.
- Anita has a part time job in Framingham. This will allow her to get local preference for site-based state housing in Framingham. Raphael selects Framingham in the drop down menu, and enters the zip code.
- While Raphael is a veteran, he will not be part of Anita’s household, and Anita will not be his dependent in housing, so Raphael leaves blank the questions related to veterans.
- He then clicks “Save”, then “Certify”.
- Part 3 is Employment & Veteran Status.
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- Part 4 is Language Access. Anita understands spoken and written English, so Raphael checks “yes” to both questions. He then clicks “Save”, then “Certify”.
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- Part 5 is Household Makeup.
- Anita is the head of household. No other names are entered. (Even if Anita needed a live in aide, this would be left blank; instead, under question 6, two bedrooms would be checked and a live-in aide would be listed as a reasonable accommodation.)
- Raphael selects “employed” on the “Occupation” drop down menu.
- Raphael selects “yes” on the “Disabled” drop down menu.
- Part 5 is Household Makeup.
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- No one in Anita’s immediate family works for or is a board member of a housing authority, so Raphael checks “No”.
- The estimated household income for the coming year is the total of Anita’s annual SSI benefits and the estimated income from her part time job.
- Anita is not planning on marrying or moving in with a significant other, so Raphael checks “No” to the question “Is a change in household composition expected?” The answer to this question would still be no if she needed a live in aide, as the aide is not part of the household (provided they are not a close family member). If she planned on having a roommate, Raphael would need to say yes. But Raphael and Anita need to be aware the income of the roommate will be considered in calculating housing eligibility and rent.
- Raphael then clicks “Save”, then “Certify”.
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- Part 6 is Public Housing
- Raphael checks “yes” to the question “Are you applying for Elderly/Handicapped Housing?” On the drop down menu, he selects “Non-elderly Handicapped (at least one household member is a person who is 59 years old or younger with a disability)“.
- Anita will live alone, so Raphael select “1” in the drop down menu “How many bedrooms do you believe you need?”. (If Anita had needed a live-in aide, Raphael would have checked “2“.)
- Part 6 is Public Housing
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- Anita does not need a wheelchair accessible unit, so Raphael checks “no” to that question.
- Anita does not need a unit adapted for people with visual or hearing issues, so Raphael checks “no” to the question “Does your household need a unit that is accessible for persons with sensory impairments such as visual alarms and notification devices for people with hearing impairments?“.
- Anita is able to climb stairs, so Raphael checks “no” to the question that begins “Do you need a unit that does not require you or any member of your household to climb stairs?“.
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- Anita does not do well with large group meetings of tenants, and will need to attend any required meetings via an individual appointment. She will also need to have assistance in any meetings with any issuing housing authority. Raphael checks “yes” to “Do you or a member of your household have a disability for which you need a reasonable accommodation such as grab bars in the unit?“. He writes in these accommodations.
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- Anita does not have an Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) voucher. Raphael checks “no” to the question “Do you currently have a voucher from the Massachusetts Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP)?“.
- Anita does not already live in housing authority property. Raphael checks “no” to the question “Are you requesting a transfer to move from one apartment to another within the same housing authority?“
- Raphael clicks “Save”, then “Certify”. Then he clicks “Save and go to Step 2”, then “Certify”.
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- Step 2: Housing Selections
- You are now on a page labeled Housing Selections. Note that your family member should only apply where they are willing to live, as they will be removed from all lists in a given community if they turn down an offer of housing, and removed from all CHAMP lists if they turn down 3 offers of housing. Provided they are not at the top of a list, they can edit their selections at any time, however.
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- Raphael selects the town where Anita currently lives with her family and he selects Framingham, where she works part time. He selects both “Include results for family housing” and “Include results for elderly/handicapped housing”. He does NOT select “Include results for congregate elderly/handicapped housing”, as Anita does not wish to live in congregate care (i.e., a group home). If Anita had wished to search in other locations, Raphael could additionally select from the drop down menu, but he would need to search for only one community at a time from that list. To add others, he would have to later edit his housing selections in Step 3.
- He then clicks “Search for housing”.
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- A pop-up menu appears, where Raphael can select what options Anita wants. (In the example below, only Framingham appears, although in reality both Anita’s home town and Framingham would have appeared in the pop-up.) (Note that in some instances, family housing will not be an option if a housing authority only has 2 and 3 bedroom units for families and the applicant does not need a live-in aide.)
- Raphael clicks both “elderly/handicapped” and “family housing”, then clicks “Add selected housing authorities”.
- Step 3: Review & Submit My Application
- You are now on a page labeled “Review & Submit My Application”.
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- There is a summary of the application information, with the option to edit.
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- This is where you can choose to edit your housing selections to add additional housing authorities if desired.
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- Raphael has Anita click the buttons to electronically sign and submit her application.
- Raphael will receive an email confirmation of Anita’s application, including where she applied.
When you are getting to the top of the list
When your family member approaches the top of the list, they will be contacted by the housing authority in question and asked to fill out the “Supplemental Application — Income and History”. (You can view a paper copy of the Supplemental Application — Income and History here.) The supplemental application will ask far more detailed questions, including:
- Sources and amounts of all income and assets (this would include any money you regularly give them or expenses you pay for them, such as uncovered medical expenses).
- Amounts of household expenses for your family member, including un-reimbursed medical expenses (this would include the uncovered medical expenses you pay for them), health insurance premiums, child support paid by them, and alimony paid by them.
- Rental history for the previous five years.
- Two personal references who are not relatives or household members; doctors or employers can work for this.
- Information on any pets (note: many housing authorities only permit one pet, if any, generally a cat or a dog, with a weight limit — 30 pounds is common).
- Criminal history.
Documentation of all information will eventually be required. This can be uploaded online via the Screening tab.
Click here to return to the overview of the CHAMP. (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.)
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