Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, elderly residents, and persons with disabilities.

Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. RHA determines your eligibility based on:

• Annual gross income;
• U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status; and
• Whether you qualify as elderly, as a person with a disability, or as a family

If you are eligible, the HA will check your references to make sure you and your family will be good tenants. RHA will deny admission to any applicant whose habits and practices may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other tenants or on the project's environment.

Your rent, which is referred to as the Total Tenant Payment (TTP) in this program, would be based on your family's anticipated gross annual income less any deductions. HUD regulations allow the HA to exclude from annual income the following allowances:

• $400 for any elderly family, or a person with a disability
• $480 for each dependent
• Some medical deductions for families headed by an elderly person or a person with disabilities.

Based on your application, the HA representative will determine if any of the allowable deductions should be subtracted from your annual income. Annual income is the anticipated total income from all sources received from the family head and spouse, and each additional member of the family 18 years of age or older.

The formula used in determining the TTP is the highest of the following, rounded to the nearest dollar: 

• 10 percent of monthly income 
• 30 percent of the monthly adjusted income. (Annual income less deductions allowed by the regulations)
• A $50 minimum rent set by the HA.

The RHA is responsible for the management and operation of its local public housing program.