Application Process - Check on a Filed Application
Application Process
To file an application with the Housing Authority of Joliet to receive housing assistance through the Conventional Public Housing Program, an interested family/individual must first contact the Housing Authority to determine if the waiting list for the program is open and accepting applications from the general public. To determine if the program waiting list is open, contact the Housing Authority’s receptionist at (815) 727-0611, extension 100.
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Pre-Application Phase
If the waiting list is open, a family/individual will begin the registration process by means of telephone, as walk-in registration at the Main Office is not accepted. When registering with the Housing Authority, some brief information will be obtained from you over the telephone and a preapplication form will be mailed you to complete and return to the Housing Authority for further processing. Once returned, the pre-application form is dated, time-stamped, and forwarded to the Public Housing Program Department where it is entered into the Housing Authority’s computer system. The pre-application form is then sorted according to bedroom size, date and time the pre-application form was returned to the Housing Authority, and any local admission preferences that are being claimed by the family/individual. At this time an applicant is considered to be “on the waiting list” with a position.
Please note that while the waiting list is open, persons with disabilities may contact the Housing Authority to receive a pre-application form through the mail or make alternate arrangements to complete the pre-application form. Pre-application forms are available in an accessible format upon request from a person with a disability.
The Housing Authority does not accept a photocopied, duplicated, or non-original pre-application form. Additionally, the Housing Authority does not accept any pre-application form that is returned on behalf of a segment of an applicant’s registered household.
All applicants are required to notify the Public Housing Program Department, in writing, of changes in family composition, income, address, and/or claimed preference status. Applicants are also required to respond, in writing, to periodic requests from the Housing Authority to update information on their application or to determine their continued interest in receiving housing assistance. An applicant’s failure to provide information to or respond to Housing Authority mailings will result in the applicant being removed from the waiting list.
Final Application Phase
Once an applicant’s pre-application form nears the top of the waiting list, the Public Housing Program Department will contact the family/individual to schedule an eligibility interview and begin the process of determining if the household meets HUD and Housing Authority established eligibility criteria.
At this time, the Housing Authority will begin verifying any applicant claimed admission preference that is listed on the applicant’s preapplication form. Any claimed admission preference must exist at the time it is being verified by the Housing Authority. The length of time an applicant is or has been on the waiting list is not a consideration for preference verification. Award of an admission preference is based on the applicant’s current status and condition, not some other measurement.
Items that will be verified to determine qualification for admission into the Housing Authority of Joliet’s Low Income Conventional Public Housing Program include, but are not limited to: |
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Claimed Admission Preferences |
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Family composition and type (elderly/non elderly) |
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Annual Income |
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Assets and Asset Income |
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Deductions from Annual Income |
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Social Security Numbers of all family members |
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Citizenship or eligible immigration status |
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Applicant screening information such as criminal history reports, prior landlord references, social desirability and housekeeping standards, and rent payment history |
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After the verification process has been completed, the Housing Authority of Joliet will make a final determination of program eligibility. The decision is based on information provided by the family/individual, the verifications that are completed by the Housing Authority, and the applicant screening process as set forth within the Housing Authority of Joliet’s Admission and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP).
If all eligibility requirements have been met and all information that was provided to the Housing Authority verifies as accurate and current, an applicant is determined eligible to receive assisted housing. The Public Housing Program Department will extend an offer of housing assistance to the family/individual.
If all eligibility requirements have not been meet and/or all information that was provided to the Housing Authority does not verify as accurate and/or current, then an applicant is determined to be ineligible to receive assisted housing. The Public Housing Program Department will not extend an offer of housing assistance to the denied family/individual. If the Housing Authority denies admission to an applicant, an applicant is provided with an opportunity to request an applicant denial meeting in accordance with established hearing procedures that are set forth within the Housing Authority of Joliet’s Admission and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP).
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Check on a Filed Application
The Housing Authority of Joliet maintains an automated waiting list system that will allow Public Housing Program applicants to obtain their current waiting list position 24 hours a day.
To access the Housing Authority’s automated waiting list system, an applicant is required to use a touchtone telephone. The automated waiting list telephone number is (815) 727-2969.
After dialing into the automated waiting list system, prompts will require an applicant to identify the housing program they have registered for and the head of household’s social security number. The system will then provide the caller with the current bedroom size waiting list that an applicant is listed on and the applicant’s current position on the program waiting list.
If an applicant encounters a problem with the automated waiting list system or believes that their information is inaccurate, an applicant must then contact a Housing Authority of Joliet Public Housing Program staff member to request a review of their application and status.
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