Riverbend on the Charles, Watertown

Tenant Selection Plan - Revised January 14, 2013

Pre-Applications and the Lottery Pool

-All potential tenants will be given a brief pre-application form that gathers basic information on their household, income and assets.

-All households who submit a complete pre-application and are deemed to be preliminarily eligible shall be entered into the Lottery Pool.

-Applications that are not complete or households that appear to not meet the eligibility guidelines described further below will be notified and given five days to rectify their application.

-Applicantshave the right to request a reasonable accommodation(s), which may include a change to a policy, procedure or practice to afford a person with a disability an equal opportunity to participate fully in the housing program or to use and enjoy the housing.Applicants may also be entitled to a reasonable modification(s) of the housing, when such modifications are necessary to afford a person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the housing.

The Apartments

-The one-bedroom apartments are approximately 800 square feet and include one bathroom. There are nine (9) one-bedroom affordable units at this development. These apartments include no utilities and 1 parking space(s)

-The two-bedroom apartments are approximately 1,100 square feet and include two bathrooms. There are eight (8) two-bedroom affordable units at this development. These apartments include no utilities and 1 parking space(s)

-There is1 wheel chair accessible apartments ( a 1-bedroom) These apartments include no utilities and 1 parking space(s)

Riverbend on the Charles shall have two types of affordable units: “80% units” and “65% units”

80% 1-bed / 80% 2-bed / 65% 1-bed / 65% 2-bed
Total aff. units available / 7 / 7 / 2 / 1
Rent charged to tenant / $1,172 / $1,289 / $919 / $1,005
Utility allowance / $176 / $227 / $176 / $227

The Lottery

-All applicants in the Lottery Pool will be assigned a Lottery Number and entered into one General Lottery. The Lottery Numbers are then drawn and assigned aWait List number in the order they were drawn.

-The Wait List will then be reviewed and beginning with the wheel chair accessible units the highest household(s) meeting that preference will be offered the unit. Next, the two-bedroom units will be offered to the highest ranked households that meet the family preference. Last, the one-bedroom units will be offered to the highest ranked households that remain and are appropriate for the bedroom size.

-Finalists will be given the opportunity to view the available apartment.

-Finalists will undergo criminal, credit and landlord screenings by the management company in a manner that is consistent with their other market-rate applicants.

-Finalists will be required to provide to Metro West CD additional verification documentation to determine final eligibility.

-The owner may deny tenancy to a finalist based on credit or other background checks so long as the same screening procedures and considerations apply evenly to all of the applicants within the rental property, regardless of the unit they have applied for.

-Failure to provide the requested information from the owner or from Metro West CD within seven (7) days of request will result in the household becoming ineligible for the unit.

-If the owner does not select tenantsfrom the first the first wave of finalists then Metro West CD will proceed down the Wait List until the units are filled.

-If all applicants from the Wait List are considered and there remain available affordable units then the owner may accept applications on a first-come-first-served basis, however, Metro West CD must review applicants for income eligibility and issue a Certificate of Eligibility before a lease can be signed by either party.

Removal from the Lottery Pool or Wait List

-Households who do not respond to phone or mail inquiries or who do not respond to a request for additional information within the time frame provided shall be removed from the Lottery Pool or from the Wait List.

Vacancies within the First 12 Months

-Metro West CD will maintain the Wait List for the first twelve months after initial lease up. Any vacancies within the first twelve months must use the method described above to fill the vacancies.

-After the initial twelve month period the owner may fill units in the same manner they fill the market-rate units, however annually the owner will need to participate in a recertification of all households occupying affordable units to insure income eligibility of the households.

Right to Appeal

An applicant has the right to appeal their decision within 5 business days from the date of the written notification. An applicant may in person, or in writing, or via a designee appear before the Appeals Committee chaired by a member of the Board of Directors of Metro West CD, who is not involved in the day-to-day operation of the housing development. At least one member of the Appeals Committee will be a neutral party. At the hearing, the applicant or his/her designee may present supporting information relevant to the reason for rejection. A final decision will be rendered by the Appeals Committee, in writing, within five business days from the date of the hearing.

An applicant concerned with discrimination against them may also contact the Mass Commission Against Discrimination at 617-727-3990 or the US Department of Housing and Urban Development at 617-994-8300.

Metro West CD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, sex, age, marital status, children, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, veteran status or membership in the armed forces, public assistance recipiency, or any other basis prohibited by law.

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