Federal Public Housing
Federal Public Housing is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The program provides assistance to low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled, allowing them to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing. The residential units are in multi-unit buildings, townhouses, and high-rise buildings. The units also vary in layouts and bedroom sizes.
The Lawrence Housing Authority (LHA) offers Efficiency, 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments. Generally, residents pay thirty (30) percent of the total household’s monthly adjusted income with all utilities included. Currently, the LHA is only accepting federal public housing waiting list applications for elderly/disabled individuals requesting an Efficiency or 2 bedroom apartment.
Please note: The family federal public housing waiting list is currently closed.
Applicants interested in applying for LHA Federal Public Housing may do so by contacting our office.
Lawrence Housing Authority
Department of Occupancy & Admission
353 Elm Street
Lawrence, MA 01841
If you have any questions, please contact our office at 978-683-2751.
Scroll down on this page for information on waitlist, preference, and appeals.
For more program details, click the buttons below.
Waitlist
LHA uses a waitlist to administer the Federal Public Housing.
Applicants are placed on a waitlist according to the date and timestamp of receiving the application. Preferences for which applicants may be eligible will impact waitlist placement. All applications are date and time-stamped when received. Applicants from the top of the waitlist will be screened for eligibility when a residential unit becomes available.
Please contact our office to inquire if they are accepting new applications to the waitlist.
Preference
The LHA has established preferences for selecting applicants from its waitlist.
Local Preference
Applicants whose head or spouse resides in the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts. An applicant who works or has been hired to work in the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts. The applicant requesting this local preference is required to provide the LHA with verification of residency or of employment or hire in the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts. This verification may be based on any one or all of the following documents, which includes, but is not limited to: rent receipts, utility bills, addressed mail, employment checks, and third-party employment certifications. The LHA may require a home visit by the HQS Inspector or the Tenant Investigator to verify an applicant’s residency, and the LHA may require a visit to the employer or employment site by the HQS Inspector or the Tenant Investigator to verify an applicant’s employment or location of hire.
Veteran Preference
An applicant requesting this preference is required to supply the LHA with a copy of his or her DD-214 form or a verification from a veteran’s agency.
Working / Disabled Preference
An applicant requesting this preference must provide the LHA with verification that the head or spouse of the family or a member whose income will be used to calculate the monthly rent is currently working twenty (20) hours per week, and has been working at least that number of hours per week for the last six months. The LHA will extend this working preference to families whose head or spouse or adult member demonstrates a strong employment history, at least two (2) years of consistent employment, who is currently out of work, and has been for the last three (3) months. This preference is also extended equally to all elderly, and this preference extends to families whose head or spouse is receiving income based on their inability to work. This preference is also extended to non-working or no-disabled families who have a disabled member. Non-working or non-disabled families requesting this preference will be required to provide the LHA with medical certification of the existence of a member’s disability or verification of the member’s receipt of disability income.
Appeals Process
All requests for appeals should be sent to the Department of Occupancy and Admission. Also, if you or anyone in your family is a person with disabilities and you require a specific accommodation in order to fully utilize our programs and services, please contact Datanis Elias at the Lawrence Housing Authority.
If you have any questions, our office contact information is: Lawrence Housing Authority, Department of Occupancy & Admission, 353 Elm Street, Lawrence, MA 01841 or by phone at 978-683-2751.
The LHA will give an applicant for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) notice of a decision denying assistance to the applicant if found to be ineligible for the program.
The notice will contain a brief statement of the reasons for the decision, and it will state that the applicant may request an informal review within twenty (20) business days of the denial, along with information regarding the nearest local legal services organization.
When Informal Review Is Not Required
The LHA will not provide an applicant an opportunity for an informal review for any of the following reasons:
- A determination of the family unit size under the LHA’s subsidy standards.
- LHA determination not to approve an extension or suspension of a certificate or voucher term.
- LHA determination not to grant approval to lease a unit under the program or to approve a proposed lease.
- LHA determination that a unit selected by the applicant is not in compliance with HQS.
- LHA determination that the unit is not in accordance with HQS because of family size or composition.
- General policy issues or class grievances.
- Discretionary administrative determinations by the LHA.
Informal Review Process
The LHA will give an applicant an opportunity for an informal review of the decision denying assistance to the applicant. The procedure is as follows:
- The review will be conducted by any person, other than the person who made or approved the decision under review or a subordinate of this person, designated by the LHA.
- The applicant will be given an opportunity to present written or oral objections to the decision.
- The LHA will notify the applicant of the LHA’s decision after the informal review within a reasonable time, not to exceed fourteen (14) days. If the LHA needs additional time for a decision which would cause the LHA to exceed fourteen (14) days’ notice, the LHA will notify the applicant regarding the delay. The notification will include a brief statement of the reasons for the final decision.
Informal Review Procedures for Denial of Assistance on the Basis of Ineligible Immigration Status
The applicant family may request that the LHA provide for an informal review after the family has notification of the INS decision on appeal, or in lieu of request of appeal to the INS. The family must request the informal review within 30 days of receipt of the Notice of Denial or Termination of Assistance, or within 30 days of receipt of the INS appeal decision.
