Public Housing Program

The goal of the city of Glendale Conventional Public Housing Program is to provide low-income families and individuals with safe, decent and sanitary housing at an affordable price. The City of Glendale owns and operates three low-income rental communities, totaling 155 apartments.

Who’s eligible?

Eligibility is limited to families, individuals, elderly (age 62 or older), and disabled or handicapped individuals whose income does not exceed limits established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are residents of the United States or have legal status to reside in the United States. A tenant will not pay more than 30 percent of their income.
What are the income limits? Individuals or families whose income does not exceed the maximum annual gross income limits set by HUD are eligible to apply for the programs.

The income limits are:

low income (public housing)
family size (# of persons):

• 1 - $35,950
• 2 - $41,100
• 3 - $46,200
• 4 - $51,350
• 5 - $55,450
• 6 - $59,550
• 7 - $63,650
• 8 - $67,800  

What are the preferences?

HUD and the City of Glendale have established preferences. Preference is given to the following:

• Glendale residents
• People working or hired to work within the city limits
• Applicants 62 years or older or receiving Social Security Disability, Supplemental Security Disability or any payments based on inability to work will be given the benefit of the working preference. For purposes of qualifying for low-income housing, any family member who is disabled will qualify the family under this category.
• Glendale residents displaced by government action or disaster
• Applicants who are active military personnel will be given 10 points for the working preference.  

How do I get an application?

Applications for public housing are accepted by telephone only. To find out whether applications are being accepted, call (623) 930-2180. After making your language choice, English or Spanish, option 3 will forward you to application information.

How do I get on the waiting list?

Individuals and families are placed on the waiting list according to the preference(s) they claim and the time and date their application is received. The waiting period for applicants depends on the length of the waiting list and availability of housing. A family's time on the waiting list depends on circumstances beyond the Community Housing Division's (CHD's) control.

How is tenant selection made?

CHD will screen each individual and family prior to leasing an apartment. The prospective tenant's history should reflect:

• Timely rent payment
• Proper care of unit
• Effective control of children and guests
• Ability to live independently
• Absence of drug or violent criminal activity

The screening process includes, but is not limited to:

• Past or current landlord references
• Credit references
• Criminal background checks
• Home visits
• Fingerprint checks

What are CHD’s obligations?

The Community Housing Division must:

• Explain the rules of the program to the applicants who are eligible for the program.
• Approve the lease.
• Maintain the apartment by making necessary repairs in a timely manner.
• Monitor families to ensure compliance with the program rules.
• Collect the family's portion of the rent and enforce the lease.
• Answer any questions that may arise.

What are the tenant’s obligations?

The tenant must:

• Provide complete and accurate information.
• Cooperate with all program requirements.
• Take responsibility for the care of their apartment and yard.
• Comply with the tenant obligations of the housing program.

Apartment Information:

• Apartments - Apartments range in size from one to four bedrooms. Each apartment is furnished with a gas stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer, mini-blinds and air conditioners.
• Utilities - Tenants will be responsible for electricity and gas. CHD pays for water, sewer and trash.
• Maintenance - CHD will perform all maintenance repairs, however, residents can be charged for repairs above and beyond normal wear and tear.
• Yard Maintenance - Mowing, pruning and planting is the responsibility of CHD. Yard clean up will be the responsibility of the tenant.
• Other Amenities - Grounds have sprinkler systems to water the lawn areas. Community-shared picnic areas with barbecues are located throughout the rental communities.

Tenant Advisory Committee: The Tenant Advisory Committee (TAC) is made up of public housing rental community residents who are elected by the community-at-large. The role of the TAC is to improve the quality of life and resident satisfaction and participate in self-help initiatives to enable residents to create a positive living environment for families living in public housing.

Resident Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (ROSS): CHD was awarded federal funding for a ROSS program onsite for public housing residents. The purpose of this program is to guide residents to become self-sufficient and independent from assistance programs. On-site service providers assist residents to find and build partnerships with local agencies that provide various training, educational, financial and career development programs designed to help those to help themselves. The grant will run through 2008.