RESIDENT SELECTION PLAN

FERN LODGE 460 EAST FERN AVENUE, REDLANDS, CA 92373 TELEPHONE (909) 335-3077 TDD (800) 545-1833 X 478 FL-ADMINISTRATOR@ABHOW.COM WWW.FERNLODGEREDLANDS.COM RESIDENT SELECTION PLAN Fern Lodge is an affordable housing community comprised of 62 apartment homes in Redlands California that provides housing for very low and extremely low income households, without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability status, familial status, age, ancestry, marital status, source of income, sexual orientation or any other arbitrary personal characteristics. Fern Lodge will make reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities unless doing so would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the program or an undue financial and administrative burden. We will consider extenuating circumstances for disabled applicants who have been rejected or found ineligible as a matter of Reasonable Accommodation. Reasonable Accommodation Request forms are available upon request from management. Fern Lodge operates under HUD s Section 202 program for the elderly in conjunction with a PRAC contract. Fern Lodge is an Equal Opportunity Housing Facility, admitting people in accordance with Local, State and Federal Fair Housing laws, HUD Section 202 PRAC Program Regulations and the Affirmative Fair Housing and Marketing Plan (AFHMP) HUD Form 935.2. INCOME LIMITS To qualify for a unit, household s gross income may not exceed the maximum income limit per household size for the Very Low Income limit (50% AMI) as published annually by HUD. The income limits are attached and will be posted in the Fern Lodge Office. AGE REQUIREMENT At least one household member MUST be 62 years of age or older at time of application. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applications will only be distributed when the Waiting List is open. Applications will not be distributed when the Waiting List is closed. Applications will be available in the office during normal business hours or by requesting an application by telephone. Each applicant must complete an application and be willing to submit to a credit history, rental history, and criminal background inquiry, as well as income and asset verifications. All application entries are to be made in ink or typed. Corrections or changes are to be made by lining through the original entry and entering the correct data. Such changes must be dated and initialed by the person making the change. Signed and dated applications will be processed on a first-come, firstserved basis. The application must be completed and signed by the head of household and all household members over 18 before an applicant can be placed on the waiting list. If an application is not completely answered, the date of it being fully completed will be the date that the application is considered accepted for rental purposes. PREFERENCES It is the policy of the Property that a preference does not guarantee admission. Every applicant must still meet the Property s Resident Selection Plan standards for acceptance as a resident. For units accessible to or adaptable for persons with mobility, visual or hearing impairments, households containing at least one person with such impairment will have first priority. Where preferences apply, applicants with a verified preference by a health care professional will be moved to the top of the waiting list above persons without a preference. When management becomes aware of an upcoming vacancy of an accessible unit, the first family on the waitlist whose disability needs match the vacant apartment will be notified of the opportunity to interview. Should the first family fail to accept the offer of an apartment, Management will continue down the waitlist offering the apartment in order of request until a waitlist applicant accepts the offer. Fern Lodge Resident Selection Plan 12.20.2011 Page 1

UNIT TRANSFER POLICY A Unit Transfer List is maintained for those residents who have been approved for transfer on the basis of a disability, need for an accessible apartment or for medical reasons certified by a health care professional. Transfers for other reasons are not permitted. Additionally, Fern Lodge will pay for moving expenses for a unit transfer conducted due to a reasonable accommodation to a household member s disability. Residents on the Unit Transfer List will have priority over the applicants on the Waiting List. When management becomes aware of an upcoming vacancy, the first family on the transfer waitlist whose health or disability needs match the vacant apartment will be notified of the opportunity to transfer. Should the first family fail to accept the offer of a transfer, Management will continue down the waitlist offering the apartment in order of request until a waitlist resident accepts the offer. If all waitlist residents refuse the offer of a transfer, Management will then seek applicants from the external waitlist. OCCUPANCY STANDARDS Occupancy standards are the criterion established for matching a household with the most appropriate size and type of apartment. The below guidelines will be followed to avoid under or over utilization of the units as follows: Bedroom Household Minimum Household Maximum 1 1 2 To determine the proper bedroom size for which a household may qualify, the following household members are to be included: 1. All full-time members of the household and; 2. Foster children; Unborn children; Children in the process of being adopted; 3. Live-in attendants. NOTE: Live-in attendants are subject to the criminal and landlord provisions of this plan with the exception of criteria that determines ability to pay rent. Exceptions to these Occupancy Standards may be made when required as a reasonable accommodation for a disabled household member. DISCLOSURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS Effective January 31, 2010, all household members receiving assistance or applying to receive assistance will be required to provide a Social Security Number and adequate documentation necessary to verify that number. This rule applies to all household members including live-in aides, foster children and foster adults. Adequate documentation means a Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or other acceptable evidence of the SSN such as Original Social Security card, Driver s license with SSN, Identification card issued by a federal, State, or local agency, a medical insurance provider, or an employer or trade union, Earnings statements on payroll stubs, Bank statement, Form 1099, Benefit award letter, Retirement benefit letter, Life insurance policy, Court records. For eligibility purposes, applicants do not need to disclose or provide verification of a Social Security Number for household members to be placed on the waiting list. However, applicants must disclose a Social Security Number and provide adequate documentation to verify each Social Security Number for all non-exempt household members before they 1) can be screened, 2) can participate in the eligibility interview or 3) can be housed. If all non-exempt household members have not disclosed and/or provided verification of their Social Security Numbers at the time a unit becomes available, the next eligible applicant must be offered the available unit. The applicant who has not provided required Social Security Number information for all non-exempt household members has 90 days from the date they are first offered an available unit to disclose/verify the Social Security Numbers. During this 90-day period, the applicant may retain its place on the waiting list. After 90 days, if the applicant is unable to disclose/verify the Social Security Numbers of all non-exempt household members, the applicant should be determined ineligible and removed from the waiting list. If the tenant does not meet the SSN discourse, documentation and verification requirement in the specified timeframe as the households Fern Lodge Resident Selection Plan 12.20.2011 Page 2

is in non-compliance with its lease, we must terminate the tenancy of a tenant and the tenant s household. Exceptions to Disclosure of Social Security Number The Social Security Number requirements do not apply to: 1. Individuals age 62 or older as of January 31, 2010, whose initial determination of eligibility was begun before January 31, 2010. The eligibility date is based on the initial effective date of the form HUD-50059 or form HUD-50058, whichever is applicable. Documentation that verifies the applicant s exemption status must be obtained from the owner of the property where the initial determination of eligibility was determined prior to January 31, 2010. This documentation must be retained in the resident file. An owner/agent cannot accept a certification from the applicant stating they qualify for the exemption. The exception status for these individuals is retained if the individual moves to a new assisted unit under any HUD assisted program or if there is a break in his or her participation in a HUD assisted program. RESTRICTION ON ASSISTANCE TO NON-CITIZENS By law, only US citizens and eligible non-citizens may benefit from federal rental assistance. However, the citizenship/ non-citizen eligibility requirements do not apply to this project. RESTRICTION ON ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS Determination of a student s eligibility for Section 202 PRAC assistance will be made at move-in, initial certification, annual recertification and at interim recertification if one of the family composition changes reported is enrollment as a student. The student must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible: (a) Be of legal contract age under state law; and (b) Have established a household separate from parents or legal guardians for at lease one year prior to application for occupancy, or meet the U.S. Department of Education s definition of an independent student; and (c) Not be claimed as a dependent by parents or legal guardians pursuant to IRS regulations; and (d) Obtain a certification of the amount of financial assistance that will be provided by parents even if no assistance will be provided. The full amount of financial assistance paid directly to the student or to the educational institution and amounts of scholarships funded under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, including awards under federal work-study programs or under the Bureau of Indian Affairs student assistance programs, are excluded from annual income for this project. GROUNDS FOR REJECTION If the applicant is a person with disabilities, they may request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the informal hearing process; we will consider extenuating circumstances where this would be required as a matter for reasonable accommodation. 1. Total family income exceeds the applicable income limits published by HUD. 2. The household does not meet the age requirements of the property as outlined above in the age requirement section of this plan. 3. Household cannot pay the full security deposit at move-in. 4. Household refuses to accept the second offer of a unit. 5. ANY adult household member fails to attend eligibility interview. 6. Applicant failed to provide adequate verification of income or we are unable to adequately verify income and/or income sources. 7. Providing or submitting false or untrue information on your application or failure to cooperate in any way with the verification process. 8. Unit assignment will NOT be the family s sole place of residency. 9. Inappropriate household size for the unit available (see Occupancy Standards). Fern Lodge Resident Selection Plan 12.20.2011 Page 3

10. A family member failed to provide proof of a social security number or refused to certify that they have never been assigned a number or otherwise does not meet the Disclosure of Social Security Numbers requirement of this plan. LANDLORD REFERENCE 11. Negative landlord references that indicate lease violation, disturbing the peace, harassment, poor housekeeping, improper conduct, unauthorized occupants or other negative references against the household. 12. Evictions reported in the last 5 years. 13. History of late payment of rent that demonstrates more than 2 late payments of rent in a six-month period for the past two years. More than 1 NSF in a one-year period. 14. Any evidence of illegal activity including drugs, gang, etc. 15. Any amount showing owed to a landlord or property management company found on credit report or other source. CRIMINAL 16. Conviction of a felony 17. Conviction of more than one (1) misdemeanor in the past three (3) years. 18. Listed as a registered sex offender. 19. Conviction of any drug, violent or other criminal activity that would threaten the household safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises. 20. History of violence or drug or alcohol abuse or other potentially disruptive behavior as evidenced by a record of conviction or by documented statements concerning current illegal use or sale of a controlled substance. 21. There is a reasonable cause to believe that a household member s behavior of abuse or pattern of abuse of alcohol may interfere with the health, safety and right to peaceful enjoyment by other residents. GRIEVANCE/APPEAL PROCESS Failure to meet one or more of the foregoing screening criteria may be grounds for rejection, however, each application is considered as a whole and the above-factors are considered as part of a weighted formula. Should the applicants fail to meet the screening criteria, they will receive a notice in writing indicating that they have the right to appeal the decision. This notice must indicate that the applicant has 14 days to dispute the decision. Disabled persons may request a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the informal hearing process. We will consider extenuating circumstances where this would be required as a matter for reasonable accommodation for the disabled. An appeal meeting will be held within 10 business days of receipt of the applicant s request with a Management Agent employee who was not involved in the rejection of the application. Typically this will be with the Property Supervisor or Compliance Manager. ADMINISTRATION OF WAITING LIST The property is required to maintain a Waiting List of all eligible applicants. Applicants must be placed on the Waiting List and selected from the Waiting List even in situations where there are vacancies and the application is processed upon receipt. This procedure is necessary to assure the complete and accurate processing of all documentation for all applicants. The property has one Waiting List that is established and maintained in chronological order based on the date and time of receipt of the Preliminary Application. The Waiting List contains the following information for each applicant: 1. Applicant Name 2. Address and/or Contact Information 3. Phone Number(s) 4. Unit Type/Size and Household Composition 5. Preference/Accessibility requirements 6. Income level and Date/ Time of Application Applicants must report changes in writing to any of the information immediately. Applicants will have the opportunity to decline the first apartment offered and retain their place on the waiting list. Should the Fern Lodge Resident Selection Plan 12.20.2011 Page 4

applicant decline the offer of the next available unit, they will be removed from the waiting list. PURGING THE WAITING LIST The Waiting List will be purged periodically. Each applicant will receive a letter from the property, which will request updated information and ask about their continued interest. This letter must be returned within the specified time or their application will be removed from the Waiting List. It is the responsibility of the applicant to maintain a current address with the office in order to receive waitlist correspondence. Any correspondence returned undeliverable will result in application being removed from the waitlist. OPENING/CLOSING OF WAITING LIST The methods of advertising used to announce opening and closing of the Waiting List is contained in our Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan (AFHMP). A copy of this plan is available by request from the site manager. The waiting list shall be closed when the average wait for admission is approximately more than 5 years. A closed waitlist will be re-opened at a time in which the average wait for admission is approximately less than one year. AVAILABILITY OF RESIDENT SELECTION PLAN The Resident Selection Plan shall be posted in a conspicuous and public area at the site. Changes to the Plan will be sent via U.S. mail to all persons on the active Waiting List. When the Waiting List opens, the Resident Selection Plan will be distributed with applications and are available by request from management. ANNUAL/INTERIM RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS All residents must be re-certified annually. Residents are also required to report all interim changes to management that occur between annually scheduled re-certifications. Requests to add household members after the initial lease signing require an application to be submitted to the Administration and submission to the screening criteria found in this plan. PETS Residents are permitted to keep common household pets in the dwelling unit (subject to the provisions in 24 CFR Part 243 and the pet policy promulgated under 24 CFR Section 243.20). SERVICE or ASSISTANCE animals are not considered pets and are not required to comply with the provisions of the Pet Policy. Service or Assistance animals are those animals specifically required to assist individuals with documented disabilities. Please notify Management if you require a Service or Assistance animal. ENTERPRISE INCOME VERIFICATION HUD provides the Owner/Agent with information about an applicant s current status as a HUD housing assistance recipient. The Owner/Agent will use the Existing Tenant Report in HUD s Enterprise Income Verification System (EIV) to determine if the applicant or any member of the applicant household is currently receiving HUD assistance. Nothing prohibits a HUD housing assistance recipient from applying to this property. However, the applicant must move out of the current property and/or forfeit any voucher before HUD assistance on this property will begin. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing and housing related transactions on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, familial status, and disability regardless of federal financial assistance. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in any program or activity receiving (HUD) federal financial assistance. Fern Lodge does not discriminate on the basis of disability status in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its federally assisted programs and activities. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Our Fair Housing Coordinator is designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the Department of Housing and Urban Development s regulations implementing Section 504 (24 CFR, part 8 dated June 2, 1988). Fern Lodge Resident Selection Plan 12.20.2011 Page 5

Fair Housing Coordinator 6120 Stoneridge Mall Road, Ste 300 Pleasanton, CA 94588 Telephone 925-924-7116 TDD 800-545-1833 ext. 478 E-mail: Section504@abhow.com Fern Lodge is professionally managed by ABHOW Fern Lodge Resident Selection Plan 12.20.2011 Page 6