Frequently
Asked
Questions

CATEGORIES:
-
THE WAITING LIST: See questions 1-8
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THE PROCESS: See questions 9-18
- 01
Applicants were able to join the Hoboken rental waiting list for the first time at the start of 2019. The City promoted this opportunity through newspaper advertisements and distributed flyers throughout Hoboken and the surrounding housing area to reach as many qualified and interested individuals as possible. Those who registered for the waiting list before May 8, 2019, received a random (or lottery) number that determines their priority on the list.
- 02
There are currently over 20,000 applicants waiting to rent an affordable apartment in Hoboken and over 1,000 of those applicants have residential preferences.
- 03
- 04
Eligible households with the highest-ranking lottery numbers will receive an email notification and will have 24 hours to respond. If they choose not to accept the apartment or do not reply within that timeframe, they will not be removed from the waiting list and will be informed of the next available vacancy.
IMPORTANT:
Save the below email address in your contacts to stay informed.
Emails may include:
announcements concerning your application status
announcements requesting application updates
announcements concerning future vacancies
announcements concerning future affordable housing opportunities
info@hobokenaffordablehousing.com
- 05
IMPORTANT
Please note the following:
If the information submitted in the original application has NOT changed then no further action needs to be taken by the applicant.
If there is a change in the information provided on the original application, applicants can provide updates by submitting an "update application form," which can be found HERE.
All other applicants DO NOT have to update their information unless they are specifically contacted by Acuity Consulting Services, LLC.
- 06
Applicants may inquire about their status via email by submitting our General Inquiry form and clicking HERE.
- 07
As new affordable housing units come online or currently occupied affordable units become vacant, Acuity Consulting Services will contact the next applicant on the waiting list whose household size, income, and residency matches the unit type. Applicants must be under the maximum income limit for the available unit and meet other criteria established by State Law.
For more information:
Acuity Consulting Services
info@HobokenAfforableHousing.com
Maximum income limits and minimum requirements can be found HERE.
- 08
The first 2,500 applicants on the waiting list will be contacted to submit an
update of their application information once per year or they may be removed from the waiting list. The first 2,500 applicants represent the estimated minimum number of applicants needed to maintain an applicant pool that would cover two years of affordable housing unit placement and turnover. This annual update requirement ensures that Acuity has current information on-file when there is a vacancy. Applicants with an email address are emailed links to update their information (The same link is included at the end of this paragraph for your convenience). Applicants without an email address are mailed a flyer which they must mail back (or they may use the link at the end of this paragraph). To help ensure that we have current information on-file when there is a vacancy, applicants should submit any updates HERE .
- 09
Applicants must inform us immediately if the applicant is quoted a different rent amount or is experiencing housing discrimination.
- 10
We will initiate a formal application process and perform an "income certification" for the applicant. This entails reviewing the total gross income of all adult household members who will be living in the affordable unit for the upcoming 12-month period. Gross income encompasses various sources, including but not limited to: pre-tax wages, salaries, tips, commissions, alimony, overtime, pensions, social security, unemployment compensation, TANF, child support, disability, as well as interest and dividends from assets. Child support and alimony will be calculated based on the court decree outlining the amounts due and whether the payee is up to date or in arrears. All income information will be thoroughly verified during this process. Applicants have one week to submit their completed application and must respond promptly to any requests for additional documentation. An eligibility determination is typically made by us within one week of the application submission.
- 11
Once the applicant has finished the income certification process, the landlord will be notified that they can move forward with finalizing a lease with the new tenant. As the Administrative Agent, we will establish the maximum allowable rent permitted by the State, which also applies to lease renewals. After income certification, applicants will be taken off the Hoboken waiting list. Moreover, there is no need for annual re-certification.
- 12
The following documents will be required from all income-earning members of the household over the age of 18:
Photo ID (Driver’s License, State ID or Passport)
Social Security Cards for All members of the household
Birth Certificates for any minors
Marriage Certificate or Divorce Decree, if applicable
Certified Form 1040 Tax Return for the last three years - or we accept Transcripts available for free here : (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript)
W2 for last three (3) years
Certified form 1099 for last three (3) years - if self-employed - (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript)
Copies of the four most recent consecutive pay stubs, including bonuses, overtime or tips, or a letter from the employer stating the present annual income figure, for all employed household members
A letter or appropriate reporting form verifying monthly benefits such as Social Security, unemployment, welfare, disability or pension income (monthly or annually), if applicable
A letter or appropriate reporting form verifying any other sources of income claimed by the applicant, such as alimony or child support, if applicable
Income reports from banks or other financial institutions holding or managing trust funds, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, stocks or bonds, if applicable
Evidence or reports of income from directly held assets such as real estate or businesses, if applicable
Section 8 Award Letter, if applicable
Copies of the last two (2) months of checking and savings banks statements as well as two (2) months statements for any other financial accounts
Copy of Life Insurance Policy if it is a Whole Life Policy
For business owners, a profit and loss statement is required
A completed final application and such other items as may be requested as part of the final application
Copy of Credit Report proof of Credit Score ( obtain for free at https://www.creditkarma.com/
- 13
Income Limits can be found HERE.
- 14
If a household member(s) received any of the following subsidies, we will require three (3) months of the following:
Alimony payment records
Annuity payment records
Armed Forces Reserves payment records
Child Support payment records
Disability insurance payment records
Pension payment records
Public assistance payment records
Welfare assistance payment records
Worker’s compensation payment records
All Social Security & or SSI Records
Unemployment payment documents
Others
- 15
Certified Form 1040 Tax Return Transcripts are available for free here : (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript)
- 16
A copy of Credit Score can be obtained for free at https://www.creditkarma.com/ .
While Acuity, as the Administrative Agent, does not require a credit score for Income Certification, nearly all developers do require a credit score in
order to consider an application for housing. Therefore, we request that you provide your credit score.
- 17
At this stage the Owner/ Developer /Housing Provider may request the following from the applicant:
An application fee
A recent credit report
A background check
A security deposit
A pet fee, if applicable
A parking fee, if applicable
- 18
Applicants may reach us via email at the following email address:
info@hobokenaffordablehousing.com
Applicants may also reach us HERE.
Those without direct access to a computer or email, please call 908-824-6207 for assistance.
For your convenience we are sharing the link below.
Here you will find other valuable resources and other affordable housing opportunities in New Jersey.
https://www.nj.gov/njhrc/find-housing/