Grievances and Appeals for Applicants

A Public Housing or Section 8 applicant who has been denied assistance, withdrawn from the waiting list, denied priority or preference status or denied a reasonable accommodation may be entitled to an informal hearing before a Hearing Officer.

Hearing requests must be submitted in writing within 20 days of Boston Housing Authority’s (BHA) decision. The Grievances and Appeals Administrator will schedule a hearing as promptly as possible. Notice of the hearing will be sent at least 14 days in advance to the address provided in the hearing request or, if none is provided, to the last address reported to BHA.

Hearing requests may be submitted by mail to:

Boston Housing Authority
Department of Grievances and Appeals
52 Chauncy Street
9th Floor
Boston MA 02111

By fax to 617-988-4301

By email to the Department of Grievances and Appeals

An applicant who is uncertain whether he or she is entitled to an informal hearing or has any questions regarding the appeal procedure should email or call (617) 988-4579; TTY: (800) 545-1833 ext. 420. 
 

FAQs

Applicant Appeals FAQs
 

Hearing Request Forms

Hearing Request Form for Public Housing applicants

Hearing Request Form for Section 8 applicants
 

• Application withdrawal: Section 3.2.5; Section 4.4; Section 5.3
• Priority and Preference categories and definitions: Section 3.3; Section 4.3; Section 5.3.3
• Verification of information requirements: Section 5.4; Section 5.5.3
• Misrepresentation of information: Section 4.2; Section 5.3.4
• Section 8 eligibility requirements, screening, and voucher denial: Chapter 5; Chapter 6
• Income qualifications: Section 5.2.2; Section 5.5.1
• Balance owed to the BHA or other publicly assisted housing program: Section 5.2.3; Section 6.1.3(a)
• Immigration status requirements: Section 5.6
• Mandatory denial: Section 6.1.2
• Discretionary denial: Section 6.1.3
• Criminal history: Section 5.7; Section 6.1.3(f)
• Mitigating negative information obtained by the BHA: Section 6.1.4
• Informal Hearings: Section 6.2
• Glossary: Chapter 18

Policy and Regulations for Public Housing Applicant Appeals

BHA Admissions & Continued Occupancy Policy

• Application withdrawal: Section 4.1.3; Section 5.3.4
• Documentation required for screening: Section 5.3.2
• Priority and Preference categories and definitions: Section 4.2; Section 4.4; Section 4.6
• Verification of information requirements and misrepresentation of information: Section 5.3
• Public Housing eligibility requirements and screening: Chapter 5
• Income qualifications: Section 5.1.4
• Immigration status requirements: Section 5.6
• Balance owed to the BHA or other publicly assisted housing program: Section 5.1.5
• Negative performance in meeting financial obligations: Section 5.3.5(1)
• Record of disturbance of neighbors, destruction of property, or poor housekeeping habits: Section 5.3.5(2)
• Criminal history: Section 5.3.5(3)
• Prior eviction or termination from rental assistance program: Section 5.3.5(4)
• Inability to comply with BHA lease: Section 5.3.5(5)
• Mitigating negative information obtained by the BHA: Section 5.3.6(2)
• Offers of housing and rejection of an offer of housing: Section 5.3.2; Section 6.2
• Informal Hearings: Section 4.1.4
• Glossary: Chapter 11

Code of Federal Regulations
Code of Massachusetts Regulations