Persons interested in applying for CMHA housing may do so by contacting each property individually. All properties have a site based waitlist for housing that opens and closes as needed. Please contact any property in the listings below to inquire if they are accepting new applications to the waitlist.

All applicants for CMHA public housing must be 18 years of age or older, or an emancipated minor, and must provide the following information when completing an application:

• Picture ID for each person 18 years of age or older (current state ID or driver's license)
• Birth certificates and social security cards for each adult and child who will be living in the apartment
• Present and past landlord contact information for the past five years, including names, addresses (street, city, state, zip code) and phone numbers
• Address and dates of residence in public housing or housing choice voucher program housing, if any applicants are previous program residents
• Divorce decree, if applicants are divorced
• A doctor’s statement, if applicants are pregnant or disabled

To verify applicants' income and assets, all applicants must provide CMHA with documentation for any of the following that apply:

• Employment Income
• School Verification
• Veterans Benefits
• Annuity
• Foreclosure
• Child Support Orders
• Social Security Income
• Pension (Retirement)
• Bank Account Verification
• TANF Benefits Printout
• Supplemental Security Income
• Railroad Retirement
• Home Value (Tax statements/appraisals)
• Unemployment Benefits
• No-Income Statement
• Self-Employment Verification

Once CMHA determines applicants are eligible, they are notified in writing and their names are placed on the waiting list, unless CMHA is able to offer housing immediately. Any applicants determined to be ineligible will receive an explanation but are free to request an informal hearing on the decision.

Approximate waiting list times vary by bedroom size, type of unit and admission preferences. An Intake Specialist will contact applicants once their name comes to the top of the waiting list for the appropriate bedroom size. Applicants should contact CMHA if there is a change in their address or any other information previously provided to CMHA which might affect their waiting list status.

All applicants must sign a lease if they are offered and accept housing with CMHA (a security deposit may be required). Prospective residents should review the lease with a CMHA representative to gain a better understanding of their responsibilities as a tenant as well as CMHA's responsibilities as a landlord.

A "preference" is an existing situation, which qualifies an applicant for a priority position on the waiting list once the applicant has been determined eligible for HUD-assisted housing. A preference does not guarantee admission, and the applicant must still meet the tenant screening criteria for eligibility. Each claimed preference is equally weighted, and preferences are not ranked in any order. CMHA has implemented the following local wait list preferences:

1. Involuntary displacement (disaster, government action, action of housing owner, inaccessibility, property disposition)
2. Successful completion of a residential substance abuse treatment program and continued drug- and alcohol-free status by the head of household
3. Substandard housing
4. Homelessness
5. Veterans and their families
6. Those currently enrolled in educational, training or upward mobility programs
7. Working families (where the head of household or spouse is working at least 20 hours per week, without regard to the level of earnings)
8. Age 62 and over or disabled/handicapped
9. Full-time student in an accredited institution or skills-based training program