Public Housing
in Bloomington-Normal, IL
What is Public
Housing?
Public housing was established to provide adequate and secure rental
housing for eligible low-income families, persons with disabilities, and
the elderly. Public housing homes take form in all sizes and types, from
spread-out single-family houses to high-rise apartments for the elderly
and their families. There are roughly 1.2 million family units living in
public housing rental homes, and are supervised by at least 3,300
Housing Authorities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) oversee Federal aid to neighboring housing agencies
(HAs) that manage the housing for low-income residents in price ranges
they can afford. HUD provides technical and professional support in
planning, expansion, and administration these developments.
Who is Eligible?
Public housing is narrow to low-income
families and senior citizens. The Housing Authority determines your
eligibility based on: 1) yearly gross income; 2) whether you meet the
criteria as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and 3)
U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. If you are qualified,
the Housing Authority will verify your references ensure you and your
family will be excellent residents. Housing Authorities will reject
access to any candidate whose habits and practices may have a negative
outcome on other residents or on the project's surroundings.
Public Housing in Bloomington.
The Bloomington Housing Authority has a grant program
named the Congregate Housing Service Program that has been utilized
since January of 1982. This program provides services to people who have
development disabilities to prevent early institutionalization. The BHA
works with the McLean Housing Authority Association for the Retarded
Citizens (MARC) to provide services and training for those participating
in the program. The BHA was the first in the state of Illinois to
develop a program to help disabled individuals.
The BHA also provides a Transitional Housing Program (THP) for
those who are in need of housing but do not meet the requirements for
the regular housing program. These homes are usually two or three
bedroom apartments and are available to families that are without
housing or live in substandard housing. Those who are assigned in THP
are provided case managers to help with budgeting, housekeeping, job
training, job searching, and much more.
Properties
Family Housing:
Evergreen Homes:
is located on Morris Ave,
Seminary Ave, and Western Ave. The development has four family sized
one-bedrooms, 19 two-bedrooms, 11 three bedrooms, and one four (4) bed
room apartments. There are 36 units in these complexes.
Holton Homes:
are located at West Monroe,
West Market, and Holton Drive. These family apartments have four (4)
one- bedrooms, 36 two-bedrooms, and 22 three-bedroom family sized
apartments. These complexes have 64 units.
Sunnyside Court:
are located on West Illinois
Street, Erickson Ave., and Olive street; which are a family development
of 100 apartments. The complex
has 20 one-bedroom apartments, 20 two-bedroom apartments, and 10
four-bedroom apartments located at these sites.
Woodhill Family:
are located on East Wood
Street where there are 50 units. There are 16 two-bedrooms, 14
three-bedrooms, 12 four-bedrooms, and eight five (5) bed-room family
style apartments.
Senior and Disabled Housing:
Irving Apartments:
are located at two locations:
(1) 823 West Oakland Ave (South) and 810 West Jackson Street (North).
THE McGraw Apartments are located at 701 South Evans Street; the
Nierstheimer Apartments are located at 816 West Washington Street (East)
and 816 ½ West Washington Street (West). The apartments located at these
locations each have 50 apartments combined and are considered to be 51-5
developments. These properties occupy only seniors and the disabled
individuals and each apartment is one-bedroom only. Those who need
handicap access apartments are available for those individuals as well.
John Kane Homes: are located on West Monroe
and North Hinshaw, these complexes have 30 apartments, eight which a
small one-bedroom apartments and 17 regular sized one-bedroom apartments
and five two-bedroom apartments.
Woodhill Towers: are located at 101 East
MacArthur (North Tower) and 104 East Wood Street (South Tower). These
complexes have a total of 307 apartments, which include 211
efficiencies, 95 one-bedroom apartments, and 1 two-bedroom apartment.
The seniors at these complexes also receive many services such as
transportation and daily peace meals.
How is Rent Determined?
The
rent, which is known as the Total Tenant Payment (TTP) in this program,
would be based on your family's anticipated overall yearly income less
contribution, if there were any. HUD regulations allow Housing
Authorities to rule out from yearly income for the following payments:
$480 for each dependent; $400 for any elderly family, or a person with a
disability; and some medical deductions for families headed by an
elderly person or a person with disabilities. Based on your application,
the Housing Authority representative will determine if any of the
allowable deductions should be subtracted from your annual income.
Annual income is the anticipated total income from all sources received
from the family head and spouse, and each additional member of the
family 18 years of age or older.
How to Apply?
If you
are interested in applying for public housing, you should contact the
Housing
Authority in Bloomington-Normal.
Bloomington Housing Authority
Phone: (309) 829-3360
Fax: (309) 829-4644
What Role Does the Housing Authority Play?
The Housing Authority is
accountable for the supervision and function of its local public housing
program. They may also operate other types of housing programs.
(1) On-going functions: (a)
guarantee fulfillment of leases (the lease must be signed by both
parties) (b) Establish other charges (i.e. security deposit, excess
utility consumption, and damages to unit); (c) Carry out sporadic
reexaminations of the family's earnings at least once every year; (d)
Relocate families from one home to another, in order to correct
over/under crowding, repair or renovate a dwelling, or because of a
resident's request to be transferred; (e) Cease leases when required;
and (f) uphold the development in a respectable, secure, and clean
state.
(2) In addition, the Housing
Authorities make available other services, such as: homeownership
opening for eligible families; employment training opportunities, and
other distinctive training and employment programs for tenants; and
assistance programs for the elderly.
References:
http://www.hud.gov/renting/phprog.cfm
http://www.bloomingtonha.com/ph.htm