Resident Qualification Criteria

Fore Property and Britain Way support State and Federal Fair Housing laws and prohibit discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, familial status, and other protected classes recognized by State Law.  All applicants and co-applicants must be 18 and over unless protected under familial status.  This criterion will be applied uniformly and in a manner consistent with all applicable law, including the Texas and Federal Fair Housing Acts, the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, program guidelines, and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs rules.

We welcome all Section 8 housing voucher applicants.  Persons participating in these programs must meet all the criteria.  We consider the rent Section 8 pays as income that counts toward the minimum income requirement.

Fore Property requires all applicants to meet the following criteria in order to qualify for housing.

Project and Program Eligibility Requirements:

Disclosure of Social Security Numbers: Applicants must disclose and provide documentation of Social Security Numbers (SSN) for all household members. The applicant cannot become a participant in the program unless they submit the required SSN documentation or Tax Identification Number (TIN) documentation.

Sole Residency Requirements: The apartment unit must be the households sole residence.

Required Consent Forms: All household members who are 18 years of age or older and each household head and spouse regardless of age will be required to sign consent and all verification forms. All information reported by the household is subject to verification.

Application Timeframe:

The timeframe from applying to approval varies with every household. Applications can be submitted in person, via e-mail or fax.

As we assist you in the application process, keep in mind that your cooperation during this time is essential. Failure to keep in contact or supply documentation/information needed within 72 hours of our request will result in cancellation of your application(s), and you will be subject to the application fee(s) upon resubmission. 

Occupancy and Income Requirements:

In order to ensure that each household meets the income requirements, Fore Property requires each applicant to provide us with a verification of employment from their current employer and/or at least four consecutive paycheck stubs for each occupant 18 and over prior to having his/her application approved. In addition, each applicant must provide authorized written verification of all assets and/or additional sources of household income, including but not limited to, anticipated income from jobs they plan to pursue, child support payments, cash assistance payments, Social Security payments, and interest from all bank accounts. If self-employed, you must provide the most current tax return (1040) and Schedule C.  Tax return must show self-employment for an entire calendar year, and a tax transcript (via Form 4506-T) must be provided showing it was filed with the IRS. 

Households comprised entirely of full-time* students are NOT eligible (according to the tax credit program rules) unless they can provide verification of at least one of the five exceptions as follows:

  Consists of full-time students who are married and file a joint federal tax return

  Consists of a single parent with child(ren), neither of whom is listed as a dependent on another persons most recent tax return other than a parent of such child(ren)

  Receiving assistance under Title IV of the Social Security Act (e.g., TANF)

  Is a participant in a federal, state, or local job training program comparable to those funded by the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) (Workforce Investment Act)

  Previously in foster care

*A full-time student is anyone who is, or was, a full-time student during the current calendar year.

Rental History:

All occupants are required to sign the Lease Agreement and must have a satisfactory, verifiable, rental history (i.e., no prior evictions, late payments, disturbing the rights and comforts of other residents, poor housekeeping, NSF check history, unauthorized occupants, property damage or failure to adhere to the policies and regulations of the community or management company).  Anyone with no rental history may be required to post an additional deposit in order to be approved.  Note:  All adults 18 and over are leaseholders.  Persons listed as occupants must be the child or legal responsibility of the applicant(s).

Credit History:

Applicant(s) must have satisfactory credit history and credit score of at least 493 or better.  A complete credit check will be conducted for each applicant by TransUnion.  All applicants must qualify.  Deposits are $150/one bedroom, $200/two bedroom, $300/three bedroom on approved credit and can go up to a full months rent due as deposit. Anyone with a bankruptcy or repossession may be required to post an additional deposit in order to be approved.  All outstanding balances to other apartment communities or utility companies must be settled prior to receiving application approval.

Guarantors:

Guarantors will be accepted to assist with credit qualifications only and may not be used to replace the rental history requirement. Guarantors are required to make four (4) times the monthly rent.

Criminal History:

Applicant(s) must pass a criminal background check.  All applicants must qualify.  Fore Property strives to comply with the Federal Housing Act, and all guidance set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with respect to Fair Housing application standards and in effort to prevent discrimination as to those applicants with a record of criminal conviction.

Applicant and all proposed occupants acknowledge and consent to the performance of a criminal record screening check by TransUnion, where permitted by applicable law.  Additionally, and where permitted by applicable law, Applicant and proposed occupants may have certain obligations to disclose the existence of specific criminal records when completing an application. If screening is required, the purpose of Same is to determine whether applicant or proposed occupant(s) have a criminal record of conviction.  This screening will be conducted upon Fore Propertys receipt of a completed application and payment of an appropriate screening fee.  Screening will include a search of available public records and disseminated by Courts of Origin or via other reporting agencies.  Any criminal records of conviction discovered during screening or via disclosure on an application will be evaluated in accordance with Fore Propertys existing Criminal Record Screening Policy before determining tenancy approval.  Please note: the existence of a criminal record of conviction will not automatically result in a denial of tenancy; a denial, whether permanent or limited in time, may occur if a criminal record of conviction is deemed to be in noncompliance with Fore Propertys existing Criminal Record Screening Policy.

Additional Information:

 A refundable security deposit is required.  There is a non-refundable application fee per applicant that is payable by money order or cashiers check.  The fee must be paid at the time your rental application is submitted for processing.  The application fee is $26/first adult and $20/additional adult. 

If the apartment home you seek is not available you may ask to be placed on our waiting list.   Applicants will be placed on the Waiting List once request is received.  Applicants will be placed on the waitlist in the order in which they are received and for a lower rent restricted unit of 30% or 50% if they so choose.  All existing residents are eligible to request to be placed on the waitlist for another unit of a lower rent restriction.  For existing residents requesting a transfer to another unit, they will be placed on the waiting list at the time of their request.  The waiting list is maintained in the order each request is received.  You will be notified via e-mail when your requested unit becomes available and will be required to take all actions needed to immediately occupy the newly available unit once you are deemed qualified and approved.

The Waiting List will remain open until such time that an announcement stating otherwise is posted at the leasing office. Should the applicant pool exceed the number of applicants that may be housed within a years time, the management may opt to close the list for a specific period. This date and time of the closure must be stated within the closure notice and posted at the leasing office.  They will also announce the re-opening of the Waiting List in the same publications and post the re-opening notice at the leasing office.

Persons covered under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, or those requiring transfers due to medically supported reason or an accessibility issue, will be placed at the top of the property waiting list and receive priority of the general positions on the waiting list.  Residents requiring transfers due to a verifiable disability will not be charged transfer fees. The transfer of utilities will be the responsibility of the resident.  

The property will keep a log of all denied applicants that completed the application process and will maintain a file of all rejected applications. The log lists basic household demographic and rental assistance information, if requested during any part of the application process, along with the specific reason for which an applicant was denied, the date the decision was made, and the date the denial notice was mailed or hand-delivered to the applicant. 

Pets/animals are allowed but may not exceed fifty (50) pounds.  An additional deposit is required per pet/animal.  There will also be an additional per month per pet rent.  No more than two (2) pets/animals per apartment.  See Pet/Animal Addendum.  Breed restrictions apply.  The breeds that are not permitted include, but are not limited to:  Akita, Chow, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Pit Bull, Presa Canaria, Rottweiler, Siberian Husky, Wolf and all wolf hybrids, and any combination of these breeds.  It is at the sole discretion of management to deem any other breed or specific animal as restricted.

Support/Service animals are not considered pets and are allowed to reasonably accommodate a leaseholder or occupant.  Any applicable specific animal, breed, number, weight restrictions, and pet rules will not apply to households having a qualified service/assistance animal(s).  Service Animals are accepted without a deposit.  Verification that the animal is a service animal will be required from a healthcare professional.

This property is financed by an affordable program administered by TDHCA.  We strive to ensure equal opportunity housing for all those who qualify for this program. In accordance with the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and its amendments of 1988, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, this property will make reasonable accommodations for individuals with handicaps or disabilities (applicants and current residents included).  A resident or applicant may be entitled under state and federal fair housing laws to a reasonable accommodation and/or reasonable modification when needed because of a disability of the resident, the applicant, and/or a person associated with a resident or applicant, such as a member of the household or frequent guest.  The reasonable accommodation and/or reasonable modification must be necessary for the individual with the disability to have an equal opportunity to fully use and /or enjoy housing services offered to other residents and/or the individual dwelling unit. 

We will grant requests for accommodations or modifications that are reasonable and necessary because of a disability, would not impose an undue financial or administrative burden on our operations, and do not fundamentally alter the nature of services or resources we provide as part of our housing program.  Reply to each request will be within 14 calendar days.

Maximum rent and maximum income guidelines are adhered to as required by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.  Household income must be within the maximum allowed income ranges to qualify.  The following are the minimum and maximum allowable incomes per household, by number of occupants:

1 Bedroom:

2   Bedroom:

3   Bedroom:

If an applicant is denied admission, they will receive a written notice stating the reason(s) for the rejection within seven (7) days of the determination.  This will include the specific reason for the denial and will reference this leasing criteria upon which the denial is based. Rejection letters will include contact information for any third parties that provided the information on which the rejection was based.

The property will provide in any non-renewal or termination notice, as allowed under applicable program rules, a specific reason for the termination or non-renewal. The notification will be delivered as required under applicable program rules, include information on rights under VAWA if the Development is subject to VAWA, and provide how a person with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation in relation to such notice.

Current residents may transfer from one unit to another unit on the same property according to the following policy:

This property elected to select YES to question 8(b) of the 8609 making it a multiple building project. As no other funding programs exist and the property is 100% HTC, transfers can occur to any available unit in any building.  Income re-qualification will not be required as the original qualifying data remains in effect if an original household member remains in the household. 

For any transfer to occur, the transferring residents account must be current and no current lease violation investigations pending.

Residents who have received three or more lease violation notices for any reason, and/or three or more late rental payments

within the preceding twelve-month period, are not eligible to transfer.

Your deposit will transfer to your new unit.

Residents may only transfer once current lease has ended, except for the following reasons:

o Medical Necessity Must be recommended and documented by a medical professional

o Change in Household Size

MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO APPROVE OR DENY ANY TRANSFER AT ITS SOLE DISCRETION

This property will provide, in any non-renewal and termination notice, the reason for termination or non-renewal. The letter will be delivered as required under the program rules and will include all information on VAWA rights. Any person with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation. To request a Reasonable Modification, please contact your community manager at the leasing office. Residents and prospective residents can appeal a Non-Renewal or Termination Notice by contacting your community manager.

This property follows the guidelines outlined in the VAWA. The law offers the following protections against eviction or denial of housing based on domestic violence, dating violence or stalking:

A.       In accordance with the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, an applicants status as the victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking is not a basis for denial of rental assistance or for denial of admission if the applicant otherwise qualifies for assistance or admission.

B.        An incident or incidents of actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence or stalking will not be construed as serious or repeated violations of the lease or other good cause for terminating the assistance, tenancy, or occupancy rights of a victim of abuse.

C.       Criminal activity directly related to domestic violence, dating violence or stalking, engaged in by a member of a tenants household or any guest or other person under the tenants control, shall not be cause for termination of assistance, tenancy, or occupancy rights of the victim of the criminal acts.

D.       Assistance may be terminated or a lease bifurcated in order to remove an offending household member from the home. Whether or not the individual is a signatory to the lease and lawful tenant, if he/she engages in a criminal act of physical violence against family members or others, he/she stands to be evicted, removed, or have his/her occupancy rights terminated. This action is taken while allowing the victim, who is a tenant or a lawful occupant, to remain.

E.        The provisions protecting victims of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking engaged in by a member of the household, may not be construed to limit Fore Property, when notified, from honoring various court orders issued to either protect the victim or address the distribution of property in case a family breaks up.

F.        The authority to evict or terminate assistance is not limited with respect to a victim that commits unrelated criminal activity. Furthermore, if Fore Property can show an actual and imminent threat to other tenants or those employed at or providing service to the property if an unlawful tenants residency is not terminated, then evicting a victim is an option, the VAWA notwithstanding. Ultimately, Fore Property may not subject victims to more demanding standards than other tenants.

G.          The VAWA protections shall not supersede any provision of any federal, state, or local law that provides greater protection for victims of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking. The laws offering greater protection are applied in instances of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking.

Fore Property will respond to any VAWA requests within 5 business days.

Requests for Reasonable Accommodation:

Fore Property strives to comply with the Federal Housing Act, and all guidance set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with respect to Fair Housing application standards and in effort to prevent discrimination as to those applicants with a record of criminal conviction.  In accordance with applicable law, applicants or proposed occupants may request reasonable accommodation of this Policy.  Upon receipt of any such request, Fore Property shall duly consider and evaluate the request, and provide applicant or proposed occupant a written response within a reasonable time frame.

NO CASH ACCEPTED FOR ANY TRANSACTION.