Some of the nation’s strongest protections against eviction and rent increases could end in January after city housing officials recommended their expiration.There are three main steps to the process of renting out new affordable units.
This sort of outreach is standard operating procedure for developments with affordable units, even though the demand is already overwhelming. Durinda Abraham, director of property management for the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, said her company recently received over 6,000 applications for a 49-unit building in Los Angeles. “That speaks to the need,” Abraham said., which may be submitted in person, through its website or by mail.
Being a top finisher in the lottery doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a unit, however. It just means you’ll get the first chance to submit your paperwork to show that you meet the income limits.Each applicant’s financial information — income, assets, dependents, benefits — will go through a verification process. Those who pass will often have to pass a background check and meet other criteria to be accepted as renters.
The lenders and agencies that supported the project have a say in the criteria used to judge applicants. For example, Donna Lambe of the John Stewart Company, which is managing the Vermont Corridor affordable housing development for seniors in Koreatown, said some lenders will require applicants to undergo credit checks that could be used to bar households with a lot of bad debt, while projects devoted to homeless residents may not consider applicants’ financial histories.
There’s one other potentially significant hurdle for applicants: Different shares of the units will be reserved for households of different sizes, income levels and accessibility issues. Some units may also be set aside for tenants who were homeless and now need permanent supportive housing. If you passed the income test but don’t fit the other criteria for any of the remaining units, you’re out of luck at that building.