Our Policies Governing Eligibility, Selection and Continued Occupancy

We have adopted an aggressive screening policy for our Developments to ensure to the best of our ability that new admissions will be good neighbors. Our screening practices meet all fair housing requirements. The Mechanicville Housing Authority will select families based on the following preferences within each bedroom size category.

• Families who reside or work in the City of Mechanicville.
  
  
• Families who reside or work within a three mile radius of the City of Mechanicville.
  
  
• All other applicants.

Our adopted Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy and Section 8 Administrative Plan provides that families who are elderly, disabled, or displaced will be offered housing before other families. If there are no elderly or disabled families on the waiting list, preference will then be given to near-elderly families. If there are no near-elderly families on the waiting list, apartments will be offered to families who qualify for the appropriate bedroom size using these priorities. All such families will be selected from the waiting list using the preferences as outlined above.

Applicant families will be evaluated to determine whether, based on their recent behavior, such behavior could reasonably be expected to result in noncompliance with the public housing lease. The Mechanicville Housing Authority will look at past conduct as an indicator of future conduct. Emphasis will be placed on whether a family's admission could reasonably be expected to have a detrimental effect on the development environment, other tenants, MHA employees, or other people residing in the immediate vicinity of the property. Otherwise eligible families will be denied admission if they fail to meet the suitability criteria.

Objective and reasonable aspects of the family's background checks include but are not limited to:

• "Criminal Background check" on all adult household members, including live-in aides. This check will be make through State or local law enforcement agencies.
  
  
• History of meeting financial obligations, especially rent;
  
  
• History of disturbing neighbors or destruction of property;
  
  
• History of criminal activity by any household member involving crimes of phyical violence against persons or property and any other criminal activity including drug-related criminal activity that would adversely affect the health, safety or well being of other tenants or staff or cause damage to property;
  
  
• Ability to maintain (or with assistance would have the ability to maintain) their housing in a decent and safe condition based on living or housekeeping habits and whether such habits culd adversely affect the health, safety or well being of other tenants;

The premises leased are for the exclusive use and occupancy of the Resident and the Resident's household members named on the lease. Any additions to the household members listed require advance written approval of the management. This includes Live-in Aides and foster children or adults, but excludes natural births. Accommodations to lodgers or borders or subletting or assigning the apartment, or any part of the apartment is not allowed.