IMPORTANT INFORMATION

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THIS LETTER AS IT CONTAINS VALUABLE INFORMATION

• Your application will be processed to verify the information you supplied. An inquiry will be conducted as to your rental history, criminal background and other information required in the SMHA screening procedures. You will be notified by mail if any information is discovered that would prevent you from being placed on our waiting list. It WILL take THREE to FIVE months before we are able to determine whether your application has been approved.

• You are unable to check your progress on our waiting list. It will take at least THREE to FIVE months before your application is approved! Once your application has been approved, we will send you written notification that your application has been approved and you have been placed on our waiting list. APPLICANTS ON THE WAITING LIST WILL NOT HAVE A WAITING LIST NUMBER. The only way you will know when you are due to receive a housing offer is when you receive your offer in the mail. Unfortunately, due to many variables, we are unable to accurately predict when you will receive an offer of housing assistance.

PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE INQUIRYING AS TO WHERE YOU ARE ON THE WAITING LIST OR WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE A HOUSING OFFER! AS STATED ABOVE, WE ARE UNABLE TO ACCURATELY PREDICT WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE HOUSING OFFER(S). DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF CALLS WE RECEIVE REGARDING WAITING LIST QUESTIONS, WE WILL NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS ASKING ABOUT YOUR PLACEMENT ON THE WAITING LIST OR WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE HOUSING.

• Unfortunately, we do not have emergency housing even for those facing eviction or homelessness. All approved applicants will be placed on a waiting list, selected in the order of our waiting list and notified in writing when housing becomes available. Placement on the waiting list is determined by the established preferences for the Housing program you applied for and the date and time of application.

• SMHA can only assist a limited number of households and unfortunately the demand is far greater than the assistance we can provide.The estimated time from application to offers of housing assistance is constantly changing. It is currently approximately:

8 – 10 months for one bedroom applicants on the PUBLIC HOUSING CANTON waiting list that have been verified as being elderly, disabled or homeless

12 months or more for one bedroom applicants on the PUBLIC HOUSING MASSILLON or PUBLIC HOUSING ALLIANCE waiting lists that have been verified as being elderly, disabled or homeless

12 months or more for two, three, four and five bedroom applicants on the PUBLIC HOUSING CANTON, MASSILLON or ALLIANCE waiting lists

• Be sure to notify us in writing of any changes in address, phone number, amount or source of income, change in your family or any other change that may affect your preferences (education status, employment status, having a homeless certificate from a shelter, being elderly/disabled/
  handicapped, paying 50% or more of your gross monthly income toward rent and utilities, etc.). Written notice must be submitted to:
  

You must also submit verification to support changes when you submit your written notice. If you call and give this information to someone or leave it on a voicemail there is no guarantee that it was received. Voicemail messages left regarding changes will not receive a return phone call. All information must be submitted in writing and your application will be updated accordingly. This is your responsibility. Due to the fact you will not know when you are due to receive a housing offer until it is time for SMHA to mail you an offer, it is extremely important that you keep us informed of your mailing address at all times.
Please remember the Post Office does NOT notify SMHA of your address change and forwarding orders from the post office expire!! It is your responsibility to notify SMHA of address changes!

• You will be placed on the waiting list and offered a unit in the area(s) that you selected on your prescreening interview form. You will no longer be placed at the bottom of our waiting list when you refuse an offer; however, you will now receive just two offers. Once you have been offered two units under the Public Housing program you will be taken off of the Public Housing waiting list. If you are removed from our Public Housing waiting list after your 2nd offer, you are not eligible to have another application processed for 12 months after the date of your last refusal.

• Respond to all correspondence from SMHA. Failure to respond will cause us to believe you are no longer in need of our services and will result in your name being removed from all waiting lists that you applied for.

• If you applied for more than one program,< once you are housed, your name will remain on all other program’s waiting lists that you applied for. You can submit a written request to be removed from the other program’s waiting list if you do not want to remain on other program’s waiting list. You must also make sure you submit your address change to the Intake Department (this will not be done for you by SMHA staff or the Post Office).

We also have available scattered site units / single family homes that will be filled by existing tenants who have for at least one year:

• Maintained your current lease agreement
• Paid your rent on time
• Limited tenant caused damages
• Promptly pay charges for damages
• Maintain satisfactory housekeeping inspections
• Maintain positive relations with neighbors
• Maintain full or part-time employment (includes retirement and disability income)
• Participate in community activities to assist in economic self-sufficiency
• Promptly report changes in income and household