Recently, I've been receiving questions regarding resident selection that indicate that not everyone has taken the time to read one of the site's most critical documents - the Resident Selection Plan.
After reading this post, please block out some time to read your selection plan through entirely. Keep a copy posted nearby as a reference. Why? Because knowing your selection plan gives you the ability to have answers handy, and to be able to point at a reference that explains who qualifies to live in your property, who doesn't, and how we screen applicants. It also answers some key questions about what to expect as a tenant.
So What's in a Selection Plan?
Selection plans detail regulatory requirements such as income limits, age restrictions, required screening elements (such as provision of SSNs or DOB), required reasons for rejection, wait list requirements, and fair housing information. They also detail elements that are more individual to a site or management company, such as any additional screening requirements (such as references), where and how to apply, the interview process, pet policies, smoking policies, etc. And finally, there are some legal requirements, such as Fair Housing, VAWA (for certain sites), and other items.
Using a Selection Plan:
Your Resident Selection Plan must be posted on site where applicants and residents can refer to it if they choose. When reviewing applications, you must do so in compliance with the Resident Selection Plan. While some elements are fairly easy to keep in mind (income limits and age restrictions, for instance), others are not. Some of the rules that don't always stay in your memory are:
Affordability - If the unit is not subsidized, applicants must be able to demonstrate an ability to afford the rent and other fees. Generally speaking , this means that they must be able to pay the rent and other mandatory fees using no more than 40% of their gross income. If they have assets that can be drawn down, or if they can demonstrate that they were paying a higher rent elsewhere, they may be able to move in using a higher percentage of this income. The calculation of affordability, though, must occur when you have applicants for unsubsidized units.
Refusing a Unit - If an applicant refuses a unit, what happens? Whether they go to the bottom of the list, or are removed from the list, is determined by the policy laid out in your Selection Plan.
Charges in Addition to Rent - This section details anything that residents are required to pay for other than their rent, such as key fees, air conditioning, congregate fees, lockout fees, etc.
Definitions - The regulatory definitions of elderly, disabled, and family are all provided in the Selection Plan, so that applicants can understand what we mean when we use them.
Adult Children - For some properties (HUD 202/8 and HUD 202 PRAC properties), adult children can only be added to the lease after the initial move-in if they are necessary for care. This is noted in the Resident Selection Plan. Should the qualifying member of the household move-out or pass away, whether or not that adult child can stay afterwards is also described in the Plan.
Updates:
Resident Selection Plans must be updated as needed. All sites have now been placed on an update schedule which will time the update of the Selection Plan and Resident Handbook with the update of the Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan. It is important to remember that changes to the Selection Plan must be communicated to interested parties. For instance, when a property decides to become smoke-free, that change must be communicated to applicants.
Summary:
To use a driving analogy, Resident Selection Plans contain both the road map and the driver's manual for the selection process. Knowing what's in them, and referring to them when needed, can ensure that you are staying on the right road, and that you're not going to get pulled over for breaking the rules.
Now get reading ;)
