Frequently Asked Questions?

How many APARTMENTS does the Housing Authority manage and WHERE are they?

The Housing Authority of Paducah manages 868 units of Public Housing located in 8 communities throughout the City of Paducah.

How are rent and security deposit calculated?

The Income-based calculation Method

Rent at the Housing Authority is based on family income.  This helps residents keep their rent affordable.  Rent is 30% of total family annual income minus any applicable deductions.  Deductions are fixed dollar amounts, which may be subtracted from annual income based on family qualifications. Standard deductions are given to families with children, elderly and disabled households. Based on your application, the HAP leasing staff will determine if any deductions are applicable to your income. Rent will never exceed established fair market rents as set from time to time by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.   

How long does it take to process an application?

Most applicants who provide complete and verifiable information on their initial application for housing may generally look forward to receiving their apartment keys in 2-4 months. However, depending on the availability of apartments, and the preference of location, some applicants may wait up to a year before being housed. Cooperation during the application includes sending a request for a criminal history report to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, or any other place of residence held in the previous two years. Complete names and mailing addresses for prior landlords and current employers, as well as verification of entitlement income and bank statements speed up the application process.

What are the requirements for housing?

(You may refer the reader to the Eligibility section of the website):

        Each head of household must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.  Applicants may be younger than 18 if married or if they have been legally determined to be an emancipated minor. 

§        Families that contain eligible non-citizens (i.e. possess a verifiable Temporary Identification Number (TIN) or other ID from Immigration and Naturalization Service) are eligible for assistance as well as families with U.S. citizenship.

§        Applicants must provide Social Security number verification for all family members or document and certify that the family member does not yet have a Social Security number.

§        Applicant families are subject to thorough background checks including rental and criminal history, credit check, and verification of income.

§        To be eligible for housing the family must have a satisfactory history of meeting financial obligations, especially rent. Applicants must show good landlord references for at least the previous two (2) years

§        Because of the federal "One Strike Policy", you will not be eligible to rent if you have been evicted from housing in the past three years because of drug related possessions or use or for violent criminal activity by any member of the applicant family.  If the applicant or any member of the applicant's family was evicted for distribution of drugs or possession with the intent to distribute, then the applicant will be ineligible for a five-year period.

§    Applicants which the Housing Authority determines currently use an illegal controlled substance or where this is a reasonable cause to believe that the applicant abuses alcohol in a way that may interfere with the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents, will not be eligible for assistance.  By policy, such an applicant must be denied admission.  Charges on a police report within the last three years will indicate further attention to this matter by the Leasing Department.

Please note the following lifetime ineligibility factors:

§        Any family member who has been convicted of manufacturing or producing methamphetamine (speed) in a public housing development or in a Section 8 assisted property.

§        Any family member falling under a lifetime registration requirement for the state sex offender program.

What are the income limits?

Again, the reader may be referred to the “Eligibility Section”

To be eligible to rent a Housing Authority unit, your family income must be less that shown on this chart.  The income limits are based on the size of your family.

Persons per family	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Maximum Income	29600	33850	38050	42300	45700	49050	52450	55850

What is the highest and lowest amount rent can be?

The HAP has set the minimum rent at $50.00.

The HAP has set flat rents for each of our bedroom sizes. (This is also known as the maximum amount of rent that can be charged for each public housing unit.) In doing so, we considered the size and type of the unit, as well as its condition, amenities, services, and neighborhood. The HAP determined the market value of the unit and set the rent at the market value. The amount of the flat rent will be reevaluated annually and adjustments applied. Affected families will be given a 30-day notice of any rent change. Adjustments are applied on the anniversary date for each affected family.

Are Housing Authority residents aloud to have pets?

Yes. Each Head of Household may own up to two pets. If one pet is a dog, cat or other four legged animal, then the second pet must be contained in a cage or aquarium.

Dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered by the age of six months. Cats must have front claws removed by the age of three months. Applicants are required to show that all of the animal’s vaccines and other wellness care are up to date by providing a statement or paid billing receipt.

Residents are required to provide appropriate receptacles for animal waste including leak proof and water proof litter boxes for cats. When walking dogs outside the apartments, residents are to take measures to remove the animal’s waste from the common walking areas.

Cats may not exceed 15 pounds and dogs are not to exceed 40 pounds in adult weight.

Prohibited Animals – All reptiles, with the exception if iguana and turtles, and any other animal breed that is considered by the HAP to be vicious and/or intimidating. Some examples of such animals are snakes, baby alligators, Rottweilers, Doberman pinscher, Pit Bulldogs, Chows, and German Shepherds.

Are utilities included in rent?

At the majority of our apartment complexes, residents are given a portion of their utilities in the form a utility allowance. This leaves HAP residents any excess amount of utility used over and above the allowance amount to pay on their monthly rent statement.

Residents of our Scattered Site duplexes and Dolly McNutt Apartments pay their full utility charges directly to the supplier. In return, the HAP applies a utility payment deduction to the resident’s bottom-line rent amount. The resulting reduction in rent paid should make it easier for the resident to pay their utilities in a timely manner. Residents of these sites who have chosen the Flat Rent Payment do not receive a utility allowance.