The Housing Authority will select families based on the following preferences within each bedroom size category (click on a preference to view detail).

	Preference No. 1 - Involuntarily Displaced Local Residents
	Preference No. 2 - Displaced Local Residents Who Are Victims of Domestic Violence
	Preference No. 3 - Residents Who Live and Work in the Housing Authority's Jurisdiction
	Preference No. 4 - Residents Who Live in the Jurisdiction of the Housing Authority
	Preference No. 5 - Involuntary Displaced Non-Local Residents
	Preference No. 6 - Displaced Non-Residents (Not Residing Within the HA's Jurisdiction) Who are Victims of Domestic Violence
	Preference No. 7 - Nonresidents Who Work in the Housing Authority's Jurisdiction

Preference No. 1 - Involuntarily Displaced Local Residents

Individuals or families residing within the jurisdiction of the Housing Authority involuntarily displaced by government action or whose dwelling has been extensively damaged or destroyed and in uninhabitable as a result of fire, flood or natural disaster, and for which such action was not the result of neglect or intentional act of the applicant or member of the applicant's household.

In order to receive the displacement preference, applicants who have been displaced must not be living in "standard, permanent replacement housing."

Standard replacement housing is defined as housing that is decent, safe and sanitary according to Housing Quality Standard/Local housing code/other code, such as State or BOCA code that is adequate for the family size according to Housing Quality Standards/local/state/BOCA code, and that the family is occupying pursuant to a written or oral lease or occupancy agreement.

Standard replacement housing does not include transient facilities, hotels, motels, temporary shelters, and in the case of Victims of Domestic Violence housing occupied by the individual who engages in such violence. It does not include any individual imprisoned or detained pursuant to State Law of Congress. Shared housing with family and friends is not considered temporary and is considered standard replacement housing.

Preference No. 2 - Displaced Local Residents Who Are Victims of Domestic Violence

Individual families residing within the jurisdiction of the Housing Authority that have been/are involuntarily displaced as a result of their having been subjected to or victimized by violent acts of a member of their household within the past 6 months. The Housing Authority will require evidence that the family has been displaced as a result of fleeing violence in the home. Families are also eligible for this preference if there is proof that the family is currently living in a situation where they are being subjected to or victimized by violence in the home. The following criteria are used to establish a family's eligibility for this preference:

	Actual or threatened physical violence directed against the applicant or applicant's family by a spouse or other household member who lives in the unit with the family.
	The actual or threatened violence must have occurred within the past 6 months or be of a continuing nature.
	To qualify for this preference, the abuser must still reside in the unit from which the victim was displaced.
	The applicant must certify that the abuser will not reside with the applicant.

If the abuser returns to the family household the Housing Authority will terminate the housing assistance for breach of this certification.



Preference No. 3 - Residents Who Live and Work in the Housing Authority's Jurisdiction

This preference is extended to individuals of families who can prove that they live and work in the Housing Authority's jurisdiction at the time of offer of housing assistance.

Preference No. 4 - Residents Who Live in the Jurisdiction of the Housing Authority

This preference is extended to individuals or families who can prove that they live/reside in the Housing Authority's jurisdiction at the time of offer of housing assistance.

Preference No. 5 - Involuntary Displaced Non-Local Residents

Individuals or families residing outside of the jurisdiction of the Housing Authority and involuntary displaced by government action, or whose dwelling has been extensively damaged or destroyed and is uninhabitable as a result of fire, flood, or natural disaster, or for which such action was not the result of neglect or intentional act of the applicant or member of the applicant's household.

In order to receive this displacement preference applicants who have been displaced must not be living in "standard, permanent replacement housing."

Standard replacement housing is defined as housing that is decent, safe, and sanitary according to Housing Quality Standards/local housing code/other code, such as State or BOCA code, that is adequate for the family size according to Housing Quality Standard/local/state/BOCA code, and that the family is occupying pursuant to a written or oral lease or occupancy agreement.

Standard replacement housing does not include transient facilities, hotels, motels, temporary shelters and in case of Victims of Domestic Violence, housing occupied by the individual who engages in such violence. It does not include any individual imprisoned or detained pursuant to State Law or an Act of Congress. Shared housing with family or friends is not considered temporary and is considered standard replacement housing.

Preference No. 6 - Displaced Non-Residents (Not Residing Within the HA's Jurisdiction) Who are Victims of Domestic Violence

Non-resident individuals or families that have been/are involuntarily displaced as a result of their being subjected to or victimized by violent acts of a member of their household within the past 6 months. The Housing Authority will require evidence that the family has been displaced as a result of fleeing violence in the home. Families are also eligible for this preference if there is proof that the family is currently living in a situation where they are being subjected to or victimized by violence in the home. The following criteria are used to establish a family's eligibility for this preference:

	Actual or threatened physical violence directed against the applicant or applicant's family by a spouse or other household member who lives in the unit with the family.
	The actual or threatened violence must have occurred within the past 6 months or be of a continuing nature.
	To qualify for this preference, the abuser must still reside in the unit from which the victim was displaced.
	The applicant must certify that the abuser will not reside with the applicant.

If the abuser returns to the family household the Housing Authority will terminate the housing assistance for breach of this certification.



Preference No. 7 - Nonresidents Who Work in the Housing Authority's Jurisdiction

This preference is extended to applicants who can prove that they work in the Housing Authority's jurisdiction at the time of the offer of housing assistance.

	Families in Preference No. 1 will be offered housing before any families in Preference Nos. 2 through 7.
	Families in Preference No. 2 will be offered housing before any families in Preference Nos. 3 through 7.
	Families in Preference No. 3 will be offered housing before any families in Preference Nos. 4 through 7.
	Families in Preference No. 4 will be offered housing before any families in Preference Nos. 5 through 7.
	Families in Preference No. 5 will be offered housing before any families in Preference Nos. 6 through 7.
	Families in Preference No. 6 will be offered housing before any families in Preference No. 7.
	Families in Preference No. 7 will be offered housing before any non-preference families.

The date and time of application will be noted and utilized to determine the sequence within the above prescribed preferences. Not withstanding above, families who are elderly or disabled will be offered housing before other single persons.

Buildings designated for the Elderly and Disabled: Preference will be given to elderly and disabled families. If there are no elderly or disabled families on the list, preference will then be given to near-elderly families. If there are no near-elderly families on the waiting list, units will be offered to families who qualify for the appropriate bedroom size using these priorities. All such families will be selected from the waiting list using the preferences outlined above.

Buildings designated as Elderly Only Housing have been approved by HUD as being designated for elderly only. In filling vacancies in these developments, first priority will be given to elderly families. If there are no elderly families on the list, next priority will be given to the near-elderly. If there are no near-elderly, units will be offered to families who qualify for the appropriate bedroom size. Using these priorities, families will be selected from the waiting list using the preferences outlined above.

Accessible Units: Accessible units will be first offered to families who may benefit from the accessible features. Applicants for these units will be selected utilizing the same preference system as outlined above. If there are no applicants who would benefit from the accessible features, the units will be offered to other applicants in the order that their names come to the top of the waiting list. Such applicants, however, must sign a release form stating they will accept a transfer (at their own expense) if, at a future time, a family requiring an accessible feature applies. Any family required to transfer will be given a 30-day notice.

The preferences information on this page was excerpted from the Admissions & Continued Occupancy Policy for Public Housing for the Housing Authority of the Township of North Bergen.