Eligibility

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WAITING LIST APPLICATION - Use this form to apply for assisted housing (Public Housing & Section8).

WAITING LIST UPDATE FORM - Use this form to make changes to your on file application.

Income Eligible:
Before being placed on a waiting list for any federally assisted housing assistance program administered by St. Clair County Housing Authority (SCCHA). View the "Programs & Properties" link from the SCCHA homepage and the “Waiting Lists” information provided below. All applicants must be determined “income eligible".

Income limits are based upon total annual household income (all members) and are established by HUD annually. Current income limits are listed in the table below:

Families with household incomes at or below the “Very Low” range as listed above are eligible to be placed on the waiting lists for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and the Public Housing Programs. Families with incomes up to the “Low Income” limit shown above are eligible to be placed on the waiting lists for Public Housing units placed into service prior to October 1, 1981. These locations include the public housing developments in Alorton, Brooklyn, Centreville, Dupo, Lebanon, Lenzburg, Marissa, O’Fallon and Smithton.

Other Eligibility Criteria:

SCCHA is required by federal law to check the criminal records for all adult members of families being considered for federal housing assistance. Involvement in illegal drug, violent and/or other felony criminal activity generally results in a determination of ineligibility. Additionally, it is SCCHA policy that applicant family members must not have any outstanding criminal warrants. Applicants are generally provided an opportunity to resolve a misdemeanor warrant before they are denied or withdrawn from the waiting list.

SCCHA does some screening of applicants for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. It is the potential landlord’s responsibility to screen prospective tenants holding a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher for desirability (ability to meet lease obligations, pay their portion of rent, maintain tenant-paid utilities, cause no property damage in excess of normal wear and tear, no behavior / conduct that disturbs nearby neighbors, etc.). SCCHA is required by HUD to provide prospective landlords with a HCVP participant’s known current address and owner contact information.

Since SCCHA serves as the landlord for the property based assistance programs, all prospective residents are evaluated from a desirability perspective. The standards are very similar to those used by a private owner to screen prospective tenants, including, but not limited to those previously mentioned. Applicants being considered for an apartment managed by SCCHA are required to be able to get tenant-paid utility services activated in the name of the head of household (spouse or co-head) upon move-in.

All of our assistance must be granted through the waiting list process. An application for assistance may be downloaded from this page, just click here to Go to top of the page. THIS FORM IS NOT FILLABLE AND MUST BE PRINTED. You may drop the completed application at our front desk during normal business hours or utilize the drop box located in the drive-up area outside the front entrance to our central office. You may also mail the completed application to:

SCCHA
Application
1790 S. 74th Street
Belleville, IL 62223

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance (rental help with private market rental properties) has an exceptionally long waiting list averaging up to 3-5 years. Public housing assistance (properties owned and managed by SCCHA and located throughout the County), may be accessed more quickly especially in outer county areas where the waiting lists tend to be shorter. All of our waiting lists for public housing are site-based waiting lists meaning that it is necessary for an applicant to apply for a specific development. Information concerning each public housing development may be accessed by clicking on “programs & properties” in the menu on the left side of this page.

Generally, the waiting lists for older adults (at least 62 years of age) wishing to live in our senior developments are shorter and therefore may be accessed more quickly.

Waiting List Preference Point System

Preference points play the most important role in advancing through our waiting list process. Date and time of the receipt of your application is only considered for those having an equal number of preference points. It is possible, for example, for an applicant to be on the list for a number of years, but have a lower place on the waiting list than an applicant with more points that applied only yesterday. If the points awarded were equal, the applicant that applied first would have a higher ranking on the waiting list.

Please see the following “Summary of Waiting List Preferences” for detailed information regarding the preference point system used for the various properties.

JURISDICTIONAL PREFERENCE (10 Points):

This preference is available to applicants who reside, are employed, or have a written offer for employment in SCCHA’s legal jurisdiction, which is St. Clair County. If the applicant is currently in a shelter located outside of SCCHA’s jurisdiction, but can document eligibility for the jurisdictional preference based upon immediate prior residency, the applicant is entitled to jurisdiction preference for up to 12 months from the end of residency in SCCHA’s jurisdiction.

Note: This preference applies to Section 8 HCVP & Public Housing

EMPLOYMENT / EDUCATION PREFERENCE (2 Points):

This preference is available to applicants where the head of household, spouse or co-head is employed and/or is actively enrolled as a full-time student at a qualifying institution of higher learning (as defined by HUD). This preference is also available to households where the head of household is a senior citizen or a person with a disability (as defined by HUD). To be eligible for this preference on the basis of employment the qualifying member must have worked a minimum average of 10 hours per week for a minimum period of three months.

Note: This preference applies to Section 8 HCVP & Public Housing

UNMET HOUSING NEED (1 Point):

This preference is available to applicants who have an unmet housing need. To qualify for this preference the applicant must demonstrate an unmet housing need related to: a) rent burden (paying more than 50% of household income toward housing cost); b) overcrowded living conditions; c) substandard living conditions; d) displacement due to government action, natural disaster, foreclosure, and other verifiable circumstances; e) inability to afford independent housing resulting in the need to remain in the parent's home or the home of another family; f) homelessness or near homelessness (as defined by federal guidelines); g) residing in a shelter or transitional housing arrangement; h) other verifiable / documentable condition that substantiates an unmet housing need.

Note: This preference applies to Section 8 HCVP and Public Housing

VETERAN PREFERENCE (1 Point):

This preference is available to applicants where the head of household, spouse or co-head is a veteran or survivor of a veteran who actively served in a branch of the United States Armed Services. The term survivor includes the spouse or widow of a veteran (unless remarried). A person who served in the military that was dishonorably discharged is not eligible for the veteran’s preference.

Note: This preference applies to Section 8 HCVP & Public Housing

LAW ENFORCEMENT / TEACHER PREFERENCE (6 Points):

This preference is available to applicants where the head of household, spouse or co-head is an active member of law enforcement or is working as certified teacher.

Note: This preference applies only to the Public Housing Program

DISPLACEMENT / DISASTER PREFERENCE (5 Points):

This preference is available to applicants that are:

 A) displaced by government action or a presidentially declared disaster

Note: This preference applies to Townhouse Court and Gwendolene Court

 B) impacted by a recognized disaster that occurs within SCCHA’s jurisdictional boundaries as designated by SCCHA’s Executive Director.

Note: This preference applies only to the Public Housing Program

It should be noted again that all assistance is granted through the waiting list process.

Emergency housing is not available through this office by regulation.