Grievance and Appeals

Applicants
Informal hearings are provided for public housing applicants. An applicant is someone who has applied for admission to the public housing program but is not yet a tenant in the program. Informal hearings are intended to provide a means for an applicant to dispute a determination of ineligibility for admission to a project. Applicants to public housing are not entitled to the same hearing process afforded tenants in the PHA grievance procedure.

Informal hearings provide the applicant a means to hear the details of the reasons for rejection, and an opportunity to present evidence to the contrary if available, and to claim mitigating circumstances if possible. While the PHA must offer the opportunity of an informal hearing to applicants who have been determined as ineligible for admission, the PHA could make the informal hearing process available to applicants who wish to dispute other PHA actions that adversely affect them. The PHA will only offer informal hearings to applicants for the purpose of disputing denials of admission.

A request for an informal hearing must be made in writing and delivered to the PHA either in person or by first class mail, by the close of the business day, no later than 10 business days from the date of the PHA's notification of denial of admission.

Residents
PHAs must have a grievance procedure in place through which residents of public housing are provided an opportunity to grieve any PHA action or failure to act involving the lease or PHA policies which adversely affect their rights, duties, welfare, or status. The PHA grievance procedure must be included in, or incorporated by reference in, the lease. The CHA grievance procedure will be incorporated by reference in the tenant lease. The PHA must provide at least 30 days' notice to tenants and resident organizations setting forth proposed changes in the PHA grievance procedure, and providing an opportunity to present written comments. Comments submitted must be considered by the PHA before adoption of any grievance procedure changes by the PHA. Residents and resident organizations will have 30 calendar days from the date they are notified by the PHA of any proposed changes in the PHA grievance procedure, to submit written comments to the PHA. The PHA must furnish a copy of the grievance procedure to each tenant and to resident organizations.

For a full overview of the Grievance and Appeals policy, please visit our office at 450 Walker Street, Cleveland TN 37311.