HousingWorks

HousingWorks is web platform that allows you to find and apply for multiple types of affordable housing. Basically, you enter a zip code and a radius (alternately, you can enter a county), check off the type of unit and features you are looking for, and search. Results can be filtered by town, key word, and degree of affordability. It is the easiest way to search for the housing types colored purple in the Housing search and application grid: federal site-based housing, state Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) housing (both site-based and portable), and private affordable housing.

Search results include links to either actual applications or requests for applications. The applications for these various housing types will vary greatly. Federal applications tend to be very long and ask questions about immigration status (state applications do not ask about immigration status). Private affordable housing applications may be relatively short or quite long. Because of this variability, rather than giving a step by step illustration of how to apply via HousingWorks, we will give an illustration of how to search on HousingWorks and sort results. We will also provide a sample completed application for state MRVP housing. Other types of applications available through Housing Works vary widely, but all ask questions similar to those on the MRVP application.

Topics covered on this page are:

• Information and documentation needed for applications
• Searching using HousingWorks
• Choosing what to apply for
• Completing applications
• Submitting and tracking applications

Information and documentation needed for applications

In general, be prepared to provide the following information for your family member (not you):

• Social security number
• Gross anticipated income from all sources for the next 12 months (including amount from each source)
• A back-up long term address (may be a post-office box, or a friend/family member)
• Name and address of employer or source of income for all income (including benefits, trust income, gifts, alimony, child support, etc.)
• Expenses (child support, alimony, un-reimbursed medical, child care if necessary for employment)
• Assets (bank accounts, stocks, bonds, trusts, real estate), including value or balance, name of financial institution, account number
• Any assets transferred or sold in last 2 years, including date, amount, and value
• Make, year, and registration number of any vehicle owned
• Addresses for the last five years, including the name(s) of the leaseholder(s), and the landlord’s information (name, address, phone)
• Contact information for 2 references who are not family or household members, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses
• Information for an emergency contact person, including name, address, phone number, and email

Your family member may also be required to attach documentation, including copies of:

• Last 3 months of statements for checking accounts, savings accounts, and credit union accounts
• 4 consecutive pay stubs, or 2 months of pay stubs
• Benefit letters from any benefit programs, giving the amount of the benefit – examples include SSI, SSDI, Social Security, EAEDC, welfare, unemployment, pension, annuity, etc. Copies of checks do not substitute for this.
• Evidence of the amount of Mass. SSI supplemental payment
• Net income
• Lease or rent receipt
• Proof of student status for those 18 or older
• Court order covering alimony or child support payments
• Social Security card
• Alien card
• IRA or Keough
• Birth certificates for all household members who will live in the unit
• Letter from social services agency assisting with your family member’s support
• Statement from family members assisting with your family member’s support
• Other, as stipulated

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Searching using HousingWorks

Begin by going to http://www.housingworks.net. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

Click on “Resources for People Seeking Housing”. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

Click on “View these simple instructions”. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

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

Return to the top of the page and click on the link in step 1. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

In Step 1 you use a drop down menu to indicate whether you want to search by zip code or county. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

In a zip code search you then select a radius. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

Proceed to Step 2, and read the advice:

1. Check boxes for what you WANT, not for what you HAVE, for example: don’t search for a voucher if you already have one.
2. If you want to apply for vouchers, you must check the voucher boxes in both Steps 2 and 3.

Some additional thoughts:

• If you have already applied for portable Section 8, but wish to apply for site-based Section 8, make sure you check the box “Voucher – Section 8”.
• If you have already applied for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) using the CHAMP, but wish to see if the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) is an option where your family member lives, make sure you check the box “Voucher or Transitional Assistance – State Funded”.
• “SRO” stands for Single Room Occupancy. Residents have their own room with a lock on the door, but usually share bathrooms and cooking facilities.

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Proceed to Step 3 and read the advice:

1. Everyone should check the box: “Individual or HHs of two or more”.
2. Check as many boxes as seems appropriate: the more boxes you can check, the more housing you will find.
3. If you have any disability (excluding Substance Use), be sure to check the wheelchair box.

Additional thoughts:

• Check off the box “Wheelchair Users/Households with Other Disabilities/HHs needing No Steps”.
• If you have already applied for portable Section 8, but wish to apply for site-based Section 8, check off the box “Voucher – Section 8”.
• If you have already applied for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) using the CHAMP, but wish to see if the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) is an option where your family member lives, make sure you check the box “Voucher or Transitional Assistance – State Funded”.
• Decide if you want to check off the box “Congregate Housing Opportunities”. This generally means sharing a home with other people with disabilities.
• If your family member is served by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) or the Department of Mental Health (DMH), make sure you check the box “Set Asides for Clients of State Agencies/Special Needs.
• Decide if you want to check off the boxes “Permanent Housing-Disability (live-in services)” and/or “Permanent Housing-Disability (visiting services)”.
• “Group Home for Behavioral or Developmental Disability” is generally an option only if you have been prioritized for a group home by DDS or DMH.

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Proceed to Step 4 and read the advice:

1. Step 4 is for one-time visitors to HousingWorks, who are looking for immediate shelter / transitional housing.
2. Skip step 4 unless you are seeking a shelter or transitional housing situation.
3. If you use this section, you should go back to Step 2 and select “Bed” “SRO” and “Studio” as your desired unit sizes.

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Click “Search”. Depending on how big a geographic area you selected, and how many options you checked, it may take several minutes for the results to appear. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

In the drop-down menu, consider limiting your search parameter. If your family member does not have a voucher and can only afford to pay a percentage of their income in rent (30%, for example), select “subsidized”. If they have a portable voucher or if their income is above 50% of Area Median Income (including any amount they might receive regularly from you), select “affordable”. (Be aware providing your family member with funds may affect their government benefits. A possible exception is an ABLE account, but please check with a financial advisor. Nothing here constitutes financial advice.)

Then click “Apply”.

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Click “List open since at least” and let the page reload. Then do it again. You should now have the most recent listings first. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

Let’s look at some of the results from a sample search with a radius of 5 miles around Melrose to understand what we are looking at. (Bear in mind you might get different results conducting a similar search, depending on the date of the search and what boxes you checked.) Looking at the first column (“waitlist”), we see examples of site-based federal (studio federal elderly/disabled), site-based state congregate (congregate state elderly), and private affordable housing (1 bedroom 50% AMI units). The second column (“program”) has clickable links where we can learn more about the property and the landlord. The fourth column (“address”) may be the address of the property or it may be the address of the landlord. The fifth column (“comments”) tells us important information, such as the length of the application or if the application needs to be printed on legal size paper. The column “status” gives a link to the application or a request for application, and tells us if the waiting list is closed. “Priorities” provides an idea of who is most likely to be selected from a waiting list. “Open since at least” tells us HousingWorks’ best estimate of how long the list has been open or when they last knew it to be open. “Update this info” is a link to update HousingWorks if you discover something is inaccurate. “Photo” is usually a photo of the property, but sometimes may be a photo of the offices of the local housing authority. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

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Choosing what to apply for

In selecting what you wish to apply for, bear in mind that many applications are quite long. A good strategy is:

• Pick two or three things your family member hasn’t already applied for; if they have already applied to the Section 8 portable waiting lists or used the CHAMP application, don’t duplicate your efforts.
• Pick things your family member meets the priorities for.
• Make sure they can afford it; for example, don’t apply for 80% AMI units if your family member’s only income is SSI.
• Consider location and transportation.
• Do not apply for things your family member is not willing to take.

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Completing applications

Applications on HousingWorks tend to be quite long. When your family member applied for portable Section 8, you may have noticed that both the DHCD and Centralized Waiting List forms were labeled “pre-application”. That is why they were relatively short. Full housing applications are quite long. (When your family member gets to the top of the Section 8 waiting list, you will find they need to fill out a much longer form, similar to many of the ones on HousingWorks.)

Because HousingWorks applications are for all sorts of housing, including site-based federal housing and private affordable housing, they are not at all uniform. But all housing applications tend to ask the same questions. To give an example of how to fill them out, it’s helpful to look at an application for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, filled out for a hypothetical applicant, Anita Martinez. We will break the application down, question by question, here. Anita’s father, Raphael is filling out the application, which she will sign. Anita currently lives at home with her family.

• Question 1:
  • Raphael lists Anita’s name as she will be the head of household.
  • He writes in the home address as the mailing address as Anita is living at home.
  • He uses his phone numbers and email addresses as Anita will not consistently answer the phone or reply to emails.

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• Question 2:
  • Anita is the head of household, so Raphael lists her date of birth and Social Security number.
  • Anita will need a live-in aide, so Raphael lists that fact, along with the fact that the aide has not been identified. NOTE: an aide’s income and assets are not relevant, provide the aide is not a close family member. This means neither Anita’s parents or siblings can be a live-in aide. If they are, their income and assets will be considered in determining eligibility for housing and the rent amount.

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• Question 3 asks about the ability to speak and write English. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and click the back button in your browser to return to this page.)

• Question 4 asks about prioritization for people who are homeless.
  • Anita is not homeless, so Raphael writes N/A next to this question (he knows it is important not to leave any questions blank).

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• Question 5 asks about local preference.
  • Anita is claiming local preference based on where she lives. Raphael checks the “Yes” box for “Do you currently reside in the same city/town that the Local Housing Authority to which you are applying is located in?”
  • Anita does not work or go to school, so Raphael checks “No” to the boxes asking about where she works and goes to school.
  • Note: in the case of MRVP and other public housing administered by local housing authorities, local preference is very important in determining how likely your family member is to receive housing. On some other applications you will see on HousingWorks, such as private affordable housing, it won’t matter.

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• Question 6 asks about reasonable accommodations for disability.
  • Anita will need accommodations, so Raphael checks “Yes”.
  • Anita will need to have any meetings with the landlord or housing authority in a 1:1 setting, instead of in a large meeting for all tenants.
  • She will need to have Raphael or another family member or advocate present.
  • Anita will need a live-in aide.

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• Question 7 asks for emergency contact information.
  • Raphael lists himself, but he uses a different email than he listed earlier.

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• Question 8 asks about income before deductions.
  • The question only refers to Anita’s income.
  • Anita receives SSI and the Massachusetts state supplement (SSP) as her only cash income. Raphael totals the monthly amounts for each of these and multiplies by 12. He enters this under “Social Security Benefits & SSI, including SSP.
  • Raphael pays out of pocket for Anita’s therapist, who does not take insurance. He enters this amount under “Other income” as it is essentially in-kind income. It will also appear later in the application as a medical expense. Un-reimbursed medical expenses are subtracted from income by the housing authority, so the two will cancel out when the housing authority calculates rent.

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• Question 9 is about assets.
  • The question only refers to Anita’s assets.
  • Raphael lists the balance in Anita’s checking account. He writes in that he is Anita’s rep payee on the account (representative payee for government benefits). This is Anita’s only bank account.
  • Anita also has a savings bond her grandmother gave her, so Raphael lists that.
  • Anita does not own any real estate and has not transferred or given away assets in the last three years, so Raphael answers “No” to those questions.
  • Raphael is careful to write “N/A” next to any questions that don’t apply.

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• Question 10 is expenses.
  • Raphael lists the $4,800 he pays out of pocket for the therapist here.
  • Anita has MassHealth as her primary insurance, so there is no expense listed under health insurance. If Raphael had been paying a premium for insurance for Anita, he would have included that amount in “Other income” on question 8, as well as here.
  • The child care and alimony questions refer to expenses Anita would have for her children or former spouse, so these are 0.
  • If there were any additional expenses related to Anita’s disability not covered by insurance or state agencies, Raphael would have included those under “Other income” on question 8, as well as here.

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• Question 11 asks about any history Anita might have with housing authorities.
  • Raphael checks “No”, as Anita has never received assistance from a housing authority.
  • He is careful to write “N/A” next to the rest of the sub-questions.

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• Question 12 is rental history.
  • Anita does not owe any previous property owner money, and she has not been evicted for cause. Raphael answers “No” to these questions.

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• Question 13 asks about criminal history.
  • Anita has no criminal history and no criminal matters pending. Raphael answers “No” to these questions.
  • Please note that those with sealed records may answer “No”.
  • Please note that it is almost impossible to gain access to public housing in Massachusetts if one is a sex offender. This underscores the importance of skills training for youth with disabilities, to make sure they do not inadvertently engage in illegal sexual conduct.

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• The final section of the MRVP application is the applicant’s certification and signature.
  • The applicant certifies they understand this is not an offer of housing.
  • The applicant certifies they will need to document information.
  • The applicant certifies they will notify the housing authority about changes in address, income, and household composition.
  • The applicant certifies they can be removed from the list if they fail to reply to contact from the housing authority.
  • The applicant authorizes the housing authority to verify information.
  • The applicant understands a criminal records check will be conducted.
  • Raphael has Anita sign the application. Alternatively, since he is her guardian, he could sign his name and print “Raphael Martinez, guardian for Anita Martinez”, and enclose a copy of the guardianship letter.

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• Bear in mind the MRVP application we just went through is included only as an example of how to fill out an application. You will see a wide variety of applications on HousingWorks.

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Submitting and tracking applications.

• When you print the application, there is usually a HousingWorks cover sheet that prints first. It provides the address to which you will mail the application (or request for application).
• A second sheet, for HousingWorks use, asks you to provide a summary of basic information. Make sure you complete this, and also fill in the bubbles next to the questions. The bubbles are there to make sure you don’t skip answering anything. (Due to copyright restrictions, this sheet is not shown on this website.)
• It is a good idea to make a photocopy of applications for your files. However, make sure you submit the original, not the photocopy.
• You may choose to submit the application in person or by mail.
  • If you submit it in person, ask them to review the application for completeness, and to give you a written receipt. This might take the form of them time stamping your photocopy and giving it back to you.
  • If you mail the application, 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.
• Please review the section “Remaining on the list” on the “Application tips and tricks” page.

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(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.)