Applicant Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants may check their application status by calling the Status Information Line at 781-322-2517.

Section 8, also known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, provides rent subsidies to assist eligible low-income families obtain decent, safe, and affordable housing. Families can select housing within a neighborhood of their choice in privately owned housing and receive rental assistance. Rent subsidies, called vouchers, allow families to pay a reasonable share of their income toward rent while the program. The MHA pays the other portion. The term “Section 8” is used because the federal law which created the program is Section 8 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. This is one of the many MHA housing programs.

The MHA's public housing options come in all sizes and types, from scattered single family houses to high-rise apartments for elderly and non-elderly families located throughout the City of Malden.

If you are interested in MHA housing and require a wheelchair accessible unit, please indicate who in your household composition requires a wheelchair accessible unit.

Anyone may apply for family public housing. However, certain income limits, the MHA Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) and either state or federal regulations govern those who are determined eligible for this housing program.

State funded developments require applicants to be 60 or older and/or disabled. Federal developments require applicants to be 62 or older and/or disabled. Those who need more than 2 bedrooms, as defined by MHA regulations and state occupancy laws, cannot apply for the elderly/disabled housing program. There are also income limits for all developments. The MHA Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) and either state or federal regulations govern who eligible for this housing program.

Reasonable accommodations refers to the MHA’s commitment to provide clients with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the MHA’s housing and programs. The MHA’s goal is to provide stable, quality, affordable housing to low- and moderate-income persons regardless of disability.

In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, a participant or applicant must be an “otherwise qualified individual with a disability.”

Under state and federal law, a disability is a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Examples of mental or physical impairments include, but are not limited to, diseases and conditions including: orthopedic, visual, speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, mental retardation, emotional illness, drug addiction (other than addiction caused by current, illegal use of a controlled substance) and alcoholism.

Examples of major life activities include, but are not limited to, the ability to walk, see, hear, breathe, think, read, or care for oneself.

An “otherwise qualified” individual with a disability is a person with a disability who is able to meet essential MHA program eligibility and requirements with or without a reasonable accommodation.

For example, if a Client is having difficulty complying with his or her program obligations, and it’s due to a disability, the Client may request that the MHA take the disability into consideration and work with the Client to find an arrangement that allows him or her to comply.

Yes. There is a requirement that the requested accommodation may be necessary to provide you with an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the MHA’s housing and programs. This relationship between the disability and accommodation is referred to as a “nexus.”

Not always, but the MHA does have the right to request information if it:
• Is necessary to verify that the Client meets the definition of a person with a disability;
• Describes the needed accommodation; and
• Shows the relationship between the person’s disability and the need for the requested accommodation

You may pick up the forms at:
• The Public Housing developments’ management offices.
• The Occupancy Department at 630 Salem Streeet, Malden MA 02148
• The Leased Housing Department at 89 Pearl Street, Malden, MA 02148
If you need assistance or an accommodation (for example, a screen reader or sign language interpreter) to complete the forms, contact the Occupancy Department.

In general, the MHA must grant an accommodation unless the Client requesting it is not an otherwise-qualified individual with a disability, there is no nexus, or the request is not reasonable.

Under disability law, the MHA must engage in an interactive process with you while reviewing your request. This means that the MHA will work with you in a cooperative way to try to find a resolution to your needs.

Once enough information is available, the appropriate MHA staff person for your program will review and decide upon your request. If additional information is needed to make a decision, you will receive a written request. You should be careful to follow any deadlines in the letter.

You may request a meeting to discuss your request.

As part of the interactive process, either you or MHA staff may request a meeting to discuss the requested accommodation. Any meeting will be held at a location that is accessible to you. You may have a friend or advocate with you at the meeting.

The MHA will issue a written decision thirty (30) days from either the date of the request, or the date all the necessary information is received. Whether your request is approved or denied, you will be notified in writing.

Appeal rights...

If the MHA denies your request or approves it, but you disagree with the way in which it was approved, you may submit a written request for an appeal.

If the applicant rejects the housing offer, the application will be withdrawn and the applicant will be able to re-apply; however, he/she will lose the any approved preferences for one year.

Failure to complete the final screening process or accept a housing will result in your application being withdrawn from all MHA public housing waiting lists and you will need to re-apply with a new application date. Therefore, you may wait again for an extensive period.

If an applicant is determined not eligible for housing, the applicant has the right to file an appeal with the MHA.

Eligibility screening is a process of identifying and verifying if an applicant will be a suitable participant able to comply with the MHA housing program requirements in accordance with the MHA’s Administrative Plan or ACOP and any regulations established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The applicant is interviewed and the third party verification is obtained to determine if the applicant and household members meet the MHA policies and any applicable federal regulations for the housing program(s) for which the applicant has applied.

For tenant-based voucher programs, the private property owner is also responsible for screening applicants for suitability to determine if they meet their housing program eligibility requirements.

Information considered in completing the applicant screening is used to assess the conduct of the applicant and other household members listed on the application, in their present and/or prior housing. The MHA will reject an applicant that it has reasonable cause to believe will violate the terms of his/her lease, adversely interfere with other residents, cause damage to the property or participate in illegal activities. Everyone in your household age 17 and over must successfully pass a CORI check.

The waiting time to near the top of a waiting list to begin the final eligibility determination process varies. It depends on the bedroom size required, preference points and the number of units that are vacant at the time. The waiting time to begin the final eligibility determination process varies from 10 weeks to over 5 years from your date of application.

You will be called in for screening when you near the top of a waiting list. Depending on the development size, bedroom size required, unit turnover, acceptance rate, historical applicant response and successful completion of the screening process, the MHA contacts applicants to schedule the required personal interview to complete the final eligibility determination screening process. It is the MHA’s goal to successfully process and approve qualified applicants who will be ready and available for each reported vacancy.

Applicants should bring the completed Final Application Form and the following verifying documents:

• Birth certificate or adoption documents (original copy for all household members)
• Social Security card or documentation that a card has not been issued (original copy for all household members)
• Picture identification of head of household and co-head if applicable (original copy)
• Appropriate documentation of United States citizenship or eligible non-citizenship status (original copy for all household members)
• Documentation of guardianship, if applicable (original copy)
• Proof of annual income for all household members
• Proof of assets for all household members
• Proof of income exclusions and deductions for all household members, if applicable
• Verification of veteran status, if applicable (original copy)
• Verification of Malden residency, if applicable
• Names, addresses and phone numbers of landlords and/or housing providers for the last three years for all household members
• Documentation of the need for any specialized housing accommodations