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Technical Assistance:Scoring Criteria

Training Courses  
Scoring Criteria 5

Underserved Communities

Projects earn points in this category if:

AHP-assisted households are reserved for one or all the following underserved populations:

  • Homeless
  • Special Needs: such as the elderly, disabled, formerly incarcerated persons, unaccompanied youth, persons recovering from substance or physical abuse (may include dating violence, sexual assault or stalking and domestic violence), or persons with HIV/AIDS
  • Other Targeted Populations: includes veterans or agricultural workers

Points available (Variable): Up to 25 points

Housing for homeless

  • If 20 percent but less than 50 percent = 5 points
  • If 50 percent but less than 75 percent = 7 points
  • If 75 percent or more = 10 points

Housing for special needs

  • If 20 percent but less than 50 percent = 5 points
  • If 50 percent but less than 75 percent = 7 points
  • If 75 percent or more = 10 points

Housing for other targeted populations

  • If at least 20 percent of the units = 2 points
  • If at least 50 percent of the units = 5 points

Helpful hints

  • A project must reserve units for occupancy by homeless households, not merely market to homeless persons or give priority to the homeless for waiting list purposes
  • See a list of definitions of each of these targeted populations in the footnotes section of this training module
  • For Rental projects: The pool of tenants a project with existing tenants at the time of application can draw from is limited to those tenants who were homeless when they moved into the project on or after a date one year prior to the application submission date

1Definitions:

  • Homeless: A household made up of one or more individuals, other than individuals imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to state or federal law, who: (1) lack a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence; or (2) have a primary nighttime residence that is: (a) a supervised publicly or privately owned operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); or (b) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, camping ground, etc. (3) Additionally, households will be considered to be homeless if they: (a) are fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence or other dangerous or life threatening conditions; (b) will imminently lose their housing, including housing they own, rent, or live in without paying rent or are sharing with others; or (c) are “doubled-up” temporarily in another household’s dwelling unit.
  • Special Needs: Such as the elderly, disabled, formerly incarcerated persons, unaccompanied youth, persons recovering from substance or physical abuse (may include dating violence, sexual assault or stalking and domestic violence), or persons with HIV/AIDS. The individual with the qualifying special needs is not required to be the head of the household. See the definition of “Elderly”, “Disabled”, “Formerly Incarcerated Persons”, and “Unaccompanied Youth” in Section IV: Definitions and Acronyms. The total for special needs units cannot exceed the total project units.
  • Veteran: A person who served in the active US military, naval, or air service; and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. Does not include Surviving Spouse. Can be any member of household. Verify veteran status via DD214, VA Certificate of Eligibility or Veteran ID Card.
  • Agricultural Worker: Any person or household that receives more than 50% of their income from the primary production of agricultural or aqua cultural commodities. Canning, animal and animal by-product processing are excluded.