6111 TENANT ASSIGNMENT

6111.1 When an applicant reaches the top of the waiting list, DCHA shall review the applicant's file to determine whether the information is current and correct. Information shall be considered current if it was verified by DCHA within no more than one hundred eighty (180) days prior to tenant assignment.

6111.2 If updated information is required, the applicant shall be required to submit information in accordance with Section 6106 of this Chapter.

6111.3 Eligible applicants shall be offered an appropriate unit, when available, consistent with the priorities and requirements of this Title.

6111.4 Each applicant shall be assigned an appropriate unit, on a community-wide basis, in sequence based upon the date and time of application, suitable type or size or unit, preference, consistent with the objectives of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and applicable HUD regulations and requirements.

6111.5 Suitable vacancies arising at a given time at any location shall be offered to the selected applicant first in sequence at the time of vacancy; provided, that referrals may be made out of sequence in the following situations:

(a) For applicants with a preference or in the emergency category, assignments shall be made to units in sequence based upon the date and time of application, as indicated in Section 6105;

(b) For low income families, as indicated in Subsection 6105;

(c) For disabled families as indicated in Section 6112; and

(d) For comprehensive modernization properties and new developments as indicated in Section 6113.

6111.6 Applicants shall be offered vacancies pursuant to Subsections 6111.6 through 6111.13.

6111.7 If the applicant rejects two (2) offers, he or she shall be removed from the waiting list. There shall have been a rejection of a prior offer before the applicant may be offered a second location.

6111.8 If the applicant is willing to accept the unit offered but is unable to move at the time of the offer, and presents clear evidence to DCHA's satisfaction of his or her inability to move, refusal of the offer shall not count as one of the number of allowable refusals permitted the applicant before removing the applicant from the waiting list.

6111.9 If the applicant presents evidence to the satisfaction of DCHA that acceptance of a given offer of a suitable vacancy may result in undue hardship not related to considerations of race, sex, color, or national origin, such as inaccessibility to employment, children's day care, refusal of such an offer shall not be counted as one of the number of allowable refusals permitted an applicant before removing the applicant from the waiting list.

6111.10 If a non-disabled family refuses to accept a vacancy in an accessible unit, the refusal shall not be counted as one of the allowable refusals.

6111.11 The following timing requirements shall be applicable to any offered vacancies:

(a) The offer of a unit to an applicant shall be in writing, and the applicant shall contact DCHA within five (5) working days of the date of the written notification to schedule an appointment to inspect the unit offered;

(b) The appointment to inspect the unit shall be scheduled within three (3) working days of the date the applicant contacts DCHA;

(c) After the applicant has inspected the unit offered, the applicant shall, within twenty-four (24) hours, notify DCHA of acceptance or refusal of the unit offered; and

(d) If the applicant fails to meet any of these timing requirements, DCHA shall consider the failure as a rejection of the unit offered, and DCHA may offer the vacancy to the next applicant in order of priority.

6111.12 Applicants with preferences who decline a unit for reasons other than those allowed in Subsections 6111.8, 6111.9 or 6111.10 shall be removed from the waiting list.

6111.13 The following timing requirements shall be applicable to any offered vacancies:

(a) The offer of a unit to an applicant shall be in writing;

(b) The appointment to inspect the unit shall be schedule within three (3) working days of the date the applicant contacts DCHA;

(c) After the applicant has inspected the unit offered, the applicant shall, within twenty-four (24) hours, notify DCHA of acceptance or refusal of the unit offered; and

(d) If the applicant fails to meet any of these timing requirements, DCHA shall consider the failure as a rejection of the unit offered, and DCHA may offer the vacancy to the next applicant in order of priority.

6111.14 Applicants with preferences who decline a unit for reasons other than those allowed in Subsections 6111.10, 6111.11 or 6111.12 shall lose their preference provided in Subsection 6105.2, and shall be placed on the regular waiting list in accordance with their date and time of application.

6111.15 The following timing requirements shall be applicable to any offered vacancies:

(a) The offer of a unit to an applicant shall be in writing;

(b) The appointment to inspect the unit shall be schedule within three (3) working days of the date the applicant contacts HMA;

(c) After the applicant has inspected the unit offered, the applicant shall, within twenty-four (24) hours, notify HMA of acceptance or refusal of the unit offered; and

(d) If the applicant fails to meet any of these timing requirements, HMA shall consider the failure as a rejection of the unit offered, and HMA may offer the vacancy to the next applicant in order of priority.

SOURCE: Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 33 DCR 7973, 7999 (December 26, 1986); and Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 46 DCR 603 (January 22, 1999), incorporating by reference the text of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published at 45 DCR 7913, 7914 (November 6, 1998); as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 50 DCR 5739 (July 18, 2003); as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 50 DCR 10362 (December 5, 2003); as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 56 DCR 2720 (April 10, 2009).