PHA Conventional & Scattered Site Public Housing

To find out if you live in PHA Public Housing, look up your rental property or development.

Recertification

• Regular Recertification. Most PHA Public Housing tenants recertify their household information and income every two years. They can submit information and documents online, by mail or in person at the management office. 
• Interim Recertification. If there are changes in household size or income between recertifications, PHA Public Housing tenants may request an interim recertification to add/remove a household member or reduce the rent. PHA Public Housing tenants do not need to report increases in income between recertifications unless they told PHA they had zero income at their last recertification. 
• Rent Calculation. PHA Public Housing tenant rent is calculated as approximately 26-28% of the household’s monthly income minus any utility allowance. All tenants who pay for utilities have a utility allowance included in their rent calculation.
• For more information about recertifications in PHA Public Housing, go to the Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP), Chapter 12.

Transfer / Moves

• Requesting transfer. Tenants who want to move from their PHA public housing unit must submit a transfer request to their property manager.  
• Waitlists. PHA generally prioritizes public housing transfers as follows (highest to lowest):
  1. Emergency Maintenance/Public Safety 
  2. Domestic Violence from an intimate partner or family member 
  3. Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation for people with a disability
  4. Displacement due to redevelopment 
  5. Underhoused (too many household members in one unit) and over-housed (too few household members in one unit) 

• Moving Out. If a tenant is evicted or moves out of a public housing unit voluntarily, they lose their housing subsidy. 
• For more information about transfers in PHA Public Housing, go to the Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP), Chapter 15.

Repairs

• Requesting repairs. PHA Public Housing tenants may request repairs online, by phone or by mailing a letter to the management office. 
• Grievance Hearing Request. If PHA does not address the repair issue, tenants may submit a Grievance Hearing Request Form to bring attention to the issue. The PHA Grievance Hearing process is an effective way to get attention to repair issues. PHA Public Housing tenants should exercise caution before withholding rent.
• For more information about the Grievance Hearing Process, go to Can I request a grievance hearing with PHA?
• For more information about a tenant’s legal rights to address repair issues, go to Repairs. 

Eviction

• Right to Grievance Hearing. Prior to any court process, PHA Public Housing tenants have a right to request a Grievance Hearing after receiving a Lease Termination Notice. So long as a tenant submits a Grievance Hearing request on time, PHA may not proceed with the eviction process until the Grievance Hearing Request is resolved. 
• Payment Agreement. Prior to any court process, PHA Public Housing tenants have a right to request a payment agreement. 
• Good Cause Protection. PHA must renew public housing leases at the end of a lease term and can only terminate a lease for non-payment of rent or breach of a condition of the lease. 
• For additional information about the eviction process, go to Evictions. 

Rules & Regulations

The Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) establishes rules for PHA and tenants in these developments.