If a waiting list has preferences, it means that priority placement is given to applicants who qualify for a specific preference category (such as elderly, disabled, or homeless). Applicants who do not qualify for the listed preferences will have a longer wait to receive assistance than those who do qualify. In most cases, the head of household, co-head, or spouse must qualify for a preference for it to be applied; and official documentation must be submitted to prove the household qualifies.
Not all waiting lists have preferences, and the specific preferences associated with a waiting list vary. The purpose of preferences is to assist demographics in the area who are in great need of housing assistance. For example, if an area has a large population of homeless persons, a waiting list in that area may have a preference for homeless applicants.
Usually, preferences are weighted, meaning that each preference is given a point value, and the total number of preferences points an applicant has determines their position on the waiting list. Applicants who do not qualify for any preferences are placed on the waiting list below all applicants who qualify for at least one preference. Housing offices are given great leeway in defining its specific preference requirements, and not all preferences are the same across the board. Always confirm the specific preference requirements with the housing office.
These are the most common preferences that may be found on an application, along with a definition of what the preference usually requires:
Preferences are not the only factor in determining a household's position on the waiting list. After preference points are sorted, applicants are placed on the waiting list either by random lottery, or date and time the application is received by the office.
Here are some examples of how an application may be sorted by preferences:
Example 1- A waiting list gives 5 points to elderly applicants, 3 points to veterans, 1 point to local applicants, and places applicants on the waiting list by date and time:
Applicant A would receive 6 points, and Applicant B would receive 3 points. Even though Applicant B submitted their application first, Applicant A would be placed in a higher tier on the waiting list because they have more preference points.
Example 2- A waiting list gives 5 points to elderly applicants, 3 points to veterans, 1 point to local applicants, and places applicants on the waiting list by date and time:
Applicant A and B would both receive 6 points. Both would be placed on the same tier, but because Applicant B submitted their application first, they would be placed higher on the waiting list than Applicant A.
Example 3- A waiting list gives 5 points to elderly applicants, 3 points to veterans, 1 point to local applicants, and places applicants on the waiting list by random lottery:
Applicant A and B would both receive 6 points. Waiting list selection is by lottery, so it does not matter when either application was submitted. Both applicants would be placed on the same tier, but because they both have the same number of preference points, each applicant has an equal chance of being placed higher on the waiting list than the other.
Example 4- A waiting list gives 5 points to elderly applicants, 3 points to veterans, 1 point to local applicants, and places applicants on the waiting list by random lottery:
Applicant A and B would both receive 6 points. Applicant C would receive 3 points. Waiting list selection is by lottery, so it does not matter when either application was submitted. Applicants A and B would be placed on a higher tier than Applicant C. Because Applicants A and B both have the same number of preference points, each applicant has an equal chance of being placed on the waiting list higher than the other. Because Applicant C has fewer preference points, they will be placed on the waiting list on a lower tier than Applicants A and B.
Example 5- A waiting list gives 5 points to elderly applicants, 3 points to veterans, 1 point to local applicants, and places applicants on the waiting list by random lottery:
Applicant A would receive 6 points, and Applicant B would receive 0 points. Waiting list selection is by lottery, so it does not matter when either application was submitted. Even though Applicant B submitted their application first, and Applicant A would be placed on a higher tier because of their preference points.
Contact the housing office you apply through for more information about preferences.