VIVA
As authorized representatives of VIVA, we have reviewed this plan and agree to implement this AFHMP, which shall be made effective as of the approval date. Further, by signing this form, VIVA agrees to review and update its AFHMP as necessary in order to comply with all applicable statutes, regulations, executive orders and other binding Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) requirements pertaining to affirmative fair housing marketing and resident selection plans reasonably related to such statutes, regulations, executive orders, as same may be amended from time to time. We hereby certify that all the information stated herein, as well as any information provided herewith, is true and accurate.
Notes On All Lease Application Screening For Affordable Unit Applicants and
General Program Requirements
Co-Signers and Guarantors are NOT allowed. The program strictly prohibits it.
Section 8 Voucher Holders
Households with Section 8 vouchers should not be subjected to your minimum income or sufficient income screening standards. Please read all the details on the section on “Section 8 Voucher Holders”.
Student Households
The MHP program prohibits households that are full-time students from leasing affordable units. Please see the section on “Full-Time Student Prohibition” for more details.
Move-In Dates and Tracking Applicant Certification
The Leasing Office should not give households move-in dates sooner than 20-30 days from the date a unit is reserved simply because it usually takes applicants at least 2 weeks minimum to complete a program/MHP Certification application due to the extensive documentation submission requirements. It typically takes an applicant 3-4 weeks to complete our eligibility review. It is important to manage expectations because if the move-in date is too close and they do not complete their eligibility review in time, it creates a lot of panic and extra work for the management team to rearrange scheduled move-in dates with a frustrated applicant. But the management team should also note that if the Affordable Lease Application Addendum (or the Affordable Unit Reservation Addendum) is used, households only have 10 days from the date of reservation to complete the pre-approval process, and the Leasing Office will need to remind households of this requirement (in addition to the notices the household will be getting from SEB Housing (sometimes referred to simply as “SEB”), if SEB is being used) and send notices to the household when they have not completed the certification process within 10 days.
Notices to Households Who Are Denied or Did Not Complete a Lease Application By A Given Deadline
The Leasing Office needs to send a written notice (email is best) to all households who were invited to complete a Lease Application but did not do so by their given deadline. The notice must state that the household has been removed from the Waiting List for failure to complete a Lease Application by the given deadline. Likewise, households who are denied/rejected must be sent a rejection notice and be informed they are being removed from the Waiting Lists. And those households should be removed from your Waiting Lists.
Minimum Incomes
The housing program has no minimum income requirements. The values in any old materials would just be a function of YOUR standard lease eligibility criteria. Households with Section 8 vouchers should not be subjected to your minimum income or sufficient income screening standards.
Rental Qualifying Standards and Compliance with DHCD Model CORI Policy Standards
All background checks will meet DHCD’s Model Standards for CORI Policy. In any instance where CORI policy and procedures in the Property Management Policy differ from the policy and procedures in DHCD’s Model Policy, the policy and procedures of the DHCD Model Policy will be followed. The Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing and in advertising the sale or rental of housing to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. It has and will continue to be the policy of the Management Company to provide equal housing opportunities for all people, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin and all other protected classes as specified by a property’s local jurisdiction.