Ask about . . . Waiting Lists
The availability of housing varies substantially from place to place across New York State. The number of people on waiting lists and the amount of time a new applicant would have to wait to find a vacancy also varies substantially.
In some areas of the State, waiting list time can range from two to 10 years. In other areas, there may be vacancies available, or waiting list time can be several months or one year.
A housing development might include several types (sizes) of apartments—for example, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, one-bed with den, studio, efficiency, etc. Most older people prefer one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments rather than studio or efficiency apartments. A development may maintain a separate waiting list for each type of apartment, and the waiting list time for each apartment type may differ. For example, there could be vacancies for the studio or efficiency apartments, a two-year waiting list for the one-bedroom apartments, and a four-year waiting list for the two-bedroom apartments.
Since an apartment will become vacant only when the resident moves or dies and these events cannot be accurately predicted, waiting list times that are published by the development's manager are APPROXIMATE—based on their past experiences with vacancies in the development.
To have your name placed on a waiting list, you must submit a completed application form and any required materials or documentation. For subsidized housing, people are entered on the waiting list in the order that completed applications are received. If your application materials are incomplete, your name will NOT be placed on the waiting list.
When someone on the list declines to take a vacant apartment that is offered, the apartment is offered to the next eligible person on the waiting list. When a person declines a vacant apartment, policies vary among developments regarding that person's status on the waiting list. Some developments will allow a person to decline several times before moving the person's name to the bottom of the waiting list. Others will allow only one decline before moving the person's name down.
For subsidized housing, government rules and regulations govern how a housing development maintains its waiting list and how vacancies are filled. Generally, a vacant apartment is offered to people in the order in which they appear on the waiting list.
However, some housing developments will give preferences to certain individuals, and such an individual is offered the next available vacancy regardless of his position on the list. For example, laws or regulations may dictate that preferences be given to people who are homeless, or who are living in substandard housing, or who are paying more than 50 per cent of their household income on housing costs, or who are low-income working families. Some developments have established their own policy to give a preference to individuals living in the town or county in which the development is located.
Some public programs provide funding to developments for the purpose of setting aside a certain number of living units for a special needs population, such as people with AIDS, grandparents raising grandchildren, or frail elderly persons. Those developments are required to give preference for these set-aside units to the individuals for whom funding was given to create these apartments.
Some developments have designed a specific number of living units to be accessible for people with disabilities, and preference for these units is given to people with the specified disabilities.
Senior housing, or a specified number of units in an age-integrated building that are set aside for people over a specified age, can only be given to people who meet that age-eligibility criteria.
Some licensed developments that provide health-related services try to balance both the financial and functional profiles of their resident populations. Balance is attempted in order to maintain the development's financial feasibility and to maintain a diverse resident health profile. That is, the development
- will want a certain proportion of residents who can afford to pay private pay prices and a certain proportion who will require subsidization through public programs, and
- will want a certain proportion of residents who need minimal care, some who need a medium level of care, and some who need a substantial level of care. When filling vacancies, such developments consider both an applicant's place on the waiting list as well as the applicant's service care needs and financial status.
In areas where there is a significant shortage of housing, some developments have policies that state that only those households with two or more members are eligible for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and that all single individuals are eligible for only studio or efficiency apartments.
Some developments may allow a person to take a vacant studio or efficiency apartment while maintaining that person's name on the waiting list for a one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment and will allow the person to transfer when a vacancy opens for their preferred apartment.
However, regardless of laws or policies, no housing development can give a preference based on race, color, culture, religion, gender, or sexual orientation; and age-integrated housing developments cannot discriminate in preferences on the basis of age or familial status.
To increase your chances of finding a vacancy, you should complete the application process and get on the waiting lists for several housing developments that are acceptable to you.
To ensure that your application remains current and complete, and to check on the status of your name on the waiting list, you should contact the development several times a year to inquire about your status.
For subsidized housing, if you feel you have been discriminated against regarding your status on the waiting list and a discussion with the manager does not clarify the issue, you can discuss the problem with the development's supervising government agency (see Government Oversight for phone numbers).
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