How should I prepare for the process?
Identification for non-federally funded listings
Most of the properties on the Doorway Housing Portal are not federally funded. For these properties, you do not need to provide proof of residency or to present a government-issued ID. However, you will be asked for some form of documentation that verifies your identity.
Identification for federally funded listings
Federally funded properties require applicants to provide proof of residency and to present a government ID. For these listings, verify that you have documentation for everyone in your household:
To find out whether the property is federally funded:
Most of the properties on the Doorway Housing Portal are not federally funded. For these properties, you do not need to provide proof of residency or to present a government-issued ID. However, you will be asked for some form of documentation that verifies your identity.
Identification for federally funded listings
Federally funded properties require applicants to provide proof of residency and to present a government ID. For these listings, verify that you have documentation for everyone in your household:
- 18 and older: Government-issued photo identification
- Under 18: Birth Certificate, or Social Security Card, or passport
To find out whether the property is federally funded:
- Check the property listing for details.
- Contact the property listing's developer or property manager for more information.
You won't need any supporting documentation to complete the initial application, except if you claim a housing lottery or wait list preference. Housing lottery or wait list preferences give certain applicants priority in the placement process. See the property listing for more information. However, at any time you can start to gather the documentation you'll need if your application is selected for review after a lottery or wait list process. Under the Additional Information section of the property listing, there may be a Required Documents text box which lists which documents you'll need. Don't wait to get started!
Income
If you're selected in the lottery or waitlist to move forward in the process, you will be asked to provide proof of household income. This applies to all sources of income for each member of your household over 18 years of age. Supporting documentation can include:
Expenses
Income
If you're selected in the lottery or waitlist to move forward in the process, you will be asked to provide proof of household income. This applies to all sources of income for each member of your household over 18 years of age. Supporting documentation can include:
- Welfare, veteran benefits, social security letter
- Rental assistance voucher
- Recent paystubs from your current employer
- Self-employment proof
- Alimony
- Current pension or retirement income
Expenses
- Checking account statements
- Savings account statements
- Most recent credit card statement
- Alimony payments
Household size:
Your household consists of everyone who will live with you in the unit that you are applying to. Household members do not have to be part of the same family through marriage or birth. Your friend or roommate can be part of your household.
Household income:
All property listings on the Doorway Housing Portal have income restrictions. For example, an apartment might be reserved for a household with a total gross income (before taxes) of less than $100,000 per year. Those requirements are noted in the details section for each listing on the portal.
Your household consists of everyone who will live with you in the unit that you are applying to. Household members do not have to be part of the same family through marriage or birth. Your friend or roommate can be part of your household.
Household income:
All property listings on the Doorway Housing Portal have income restrictions. For example, an apartment might be reserved for a household with a total gross income (before taxes) of less than $100,000 per year. Those requirements are noted in the details section for each listing on the portal.
Units are assigned based on household size:
This is done to ensure that the household doesn't have a unit that is larger or smaller than needed. For example, a property may have these household size guidelines:
This is done to ensure that the household doesn't have a unit that is larger or smaller than needed. For example, a property may have these household size guidelines:
- A studio can have up to two people.
- Larger units allow up to two people per bedroom plus one. For example, a 2-bedroom can accommodate five people.
- All units require at least one person per bedroom, including studios. For example, a single person can't qualify for a 2-bedroom apartment. Note that these guidelines might be different depending on the property.
- Many properties have housing lottery preferences based on location. You can maximize your chances for these by applying for housing that is near where you live or work.
- As you look at property listings, pay careful attention to lottery dates or any other deadlines mentioned. Make sure to submit your application on time.
- Some property managers may check your credit score. To take steps to improve your credit score, see the article from debt.org: How to Improve Your Credit Score
- Make sure that you have (or can access) the documents you'll need for placement.
- Sign up for notifications so that you're aware of new opportunities as they come online.
Some units are set aside for certain communities, including:
For listings that have a housing lottery preference, the application process will provide you with an opportunity to provide documentation for the preference.
- Seniors
- Veterans
- Transitional aged youth (TAY) - unaccompanied youth typically 18-24 years of age
- Individuals with developmental disabilities
For listings that have a housing lottery preference, the application process will provide you with an opportunity to provide documentation for the preference.
After I apply, what's next?
The selection process depends on whether you apply to a lottery or a waitlist:
- Lottery: After the lottery is closed, the property manager uses an electronic process to put the applications into a random order. After the random order is determined, the applicants that are eligible for housing lottery preferences will be considered first.
- Waitlist: Generally, there are two types of waitlists. Sometimes, applicants for lotteries who were not selected for a unit move to a waitlist. That type of waitlist is ordered just like lotteries. Other times, the date and time an applicant submits their application sets the order of the waiting list.
If you apply to a property with a housing lottery, the placement process – the steps that happen between submitting your Doorway Housing Portal application and getting the keys to your unit - typically starts soon after the lottery's scheduled date. The developer or property manager contacts applicants in the order of the lottery and lottery preferences results. The higher your position in the lottery and lottery preference results, the sooner you'll be contacted. Please note, however, that once all the units are filled, the developer or property manager will stop contacting applicants.
If you apply to a property with a wait list, the next step is to...wait. This might be the most difficult step. You may not hear from the property manager for weeks, months, or years. However, you can make use of this time:
As you move forward in the placement process, the developer or property manager will contact you by phone, email, or letter.
Tip: Keep any voicemails, emails, or letters that you receive from property managers.
If you apply to a property with a wait list, the next step is to...wait. This might be the most difficult step. You may not hear from the property manager for weeks, months, or years. However, you can make use of this time:
- Be sure that you have signed up for email notifications for any new listings and continue to apply for listings that interest you and for which you qualify.
- Gather your documentation to be ready if you're contacted. For example, if you're applying to a listing that has a preference for children under a certain age, you might need to have their birth certificate.
- Keep applying to other housing opportunities of interest to you.
As you move forward in the placement process, the developer or property manager will contact you by phone, email, or letter.
Tip: Keep any voicemails, emails, or letters that you receive from property managers.
As the last step, the property manager will want to meet with you.
- All your household members might be asked to attend.
- The property manager will review your documents with you and determine whether they can offer you the apartment, based on the property guidelines.
- For most units, you will need to provide documentation once per year that shows you are still within the eligible income range.
- If your income increases beyond the eligible range, you'll typically be allowed a period of time before being required to move to a new unit.
What else should I know about affordable housing?
Affordable housing is generally housing that is offered below the market rate. Ideally, your home is affordable when:
In the Bay Area, that percentage can be as high as 50% and still be considered affordable. If you open a property listing on the Doorway Housing Portal, you'll see a minimum income requirement. Property managers try to set these income requirements to ensure that your household is not expected to pay more than it can for rent.
Affordable housing is also sometimes referred to as:
- Renters: You spend no more than 30% of your income on rent and utilities.
- Homeowners: You spend no more than 30% of your income on mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, utilities and other housing-related costs.
In the Bay Area, that percentage can be as high as 50% and still be considered affordable. If you open a property listing on the Doorway Housing Portal, you'll see a minimum income requirement. Property managers try to set these income requirements to ensure that your household is not expected to pay more than it can for rent.
Affordable housing is also sometimes referred to as:
- Low-income housing
- Subsidized housing (also known as regulated housing or deed-restricted housing)
- Naturally occurring affordable housing (the government doesn't subsidize or set pricing rules)
- Restricted income housing
- Section 8 housing (not all affordable housing is Section 8 housing)
Note: A certain amount of math is involved in setting the rent for an affordable apartment. The developer or property manager is responsible for doing that math. The Doorway Housing Portal shows you what you need to know about required income ranges and rent for each listing. This explanation is just in case you're curious!
In each area or region across the country, the government tracks median household income, by household size. That average is known as the area median income (AMI). You can go to the official HUD site to look up your own area.
Here's an example:
In each area or region across the country, the government tracks median household income, by household size. That average is known as the area median income (AMI). You can go to the official HUD site to look up your own area.
Here's an example:
- In 2022, a median Alameda County household of 4 had an income of about $143,000.
- In Alameda County that year, a unit priced at 50% AMI would be affordable to a household that earns 50% of $143,000, or $71,500.
Section 8 is the name of the law that created several programs, one of which is Housing Choice Vouchers, or 'tenant vouchers'. Tenant vouchers provide rental assistance to low-income families and individuals, and can be used for any rental housing unit. Note that in California, it's illegal for landlords to not accept them.
The Doorway Housing Portal is managed by the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, a trustworthy government agency. On other websites, if a housing opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is:
For more information, see this article on Rental Listing Scams, published by the Federal Trade Commission.
- Never send money to someone you've never met in person for an apartment you haven't seen.
- Never wire money to pay a security deposit, application fee, or first month's rent.
For more information, see this article on Rental Listing Scams, published by the Federal Trade Commission.
How do lottery results work?
The first step in a housing lottery is to give every applicant a random number. For example, if there are 500 applicants, Doorway gives each applicant a number between 1 and 500. The random number you get may not be the order in which your application is reviewed. It depends on the housing lottery preferences included in the listing. Please read below for more information.
Some listings on the Doorway Housing Portal come with housing lottery preferences. Such preferences give qualified applicants priority in the placement process. The Live/Work Preference is an example. It's given to applicants who live or work in the same city as the property.
Application questions you answer determine if your household qualifies for these preferences. If there are multiple preferences, they are prioritized and processed in a particular order. See the listing for more details about the preferences for a particular lottery.
Application questions you answer determine if your household qualifies for these preferences. If there are multiple preferences, they are prioritized and processed in a particular order. See the listing for more details about the preferences for a particular lottery.
Property managers will contact the applicants that appear to qualify for each preference. They will do that in the priority order of those preferences. Here's an example of sorting housing preferences:
Sandra submitted one of 500 total applications for a lottery for 123 Market Street. The lottery for that property has only one preference - the Live/Work Preference.
Sandra submitted one of 500 total applications for a lottery for 123 Market Street. The lottery for that property has only one preference - the Live/Work Preference.
- Through the lottery, each one receives a raw rank of 1 to 500. Sandra's application got a raw rank of 401.
- Four applications receive the Live/Work Preference, including Sandra's. The raw ranks of those four applications are 85, 203, 401, and 490.
- For all lotteries, the property managers review applications with lottery preferences first. So in this case, Sandra's application will be the third one processed, even though her raw rank was 401 out of 500.