What are some of the reasons I could be eligible or ineligible for a housing program?

You could be eligible or ineligible because of (1) your income, (2) your criminal record, and/or (3) some other specific factor.

(1) INCOME: How much money you make will be an important factor for certain types of housing. If you are low-income, it will help you in certain contexts. For example, housing that is subsidized (paid for partially or fully) by the government, you must be low-income—earning less than a certain amount of money per month—to be eligible. The income cutoff is different for different programs (read more below). But for most private housing, you must be earning more than a certain amount of money per month to be eligible. Landlords want proof of your income being a certain amount so they know you are able to pay rent.

(2) CRIMINAL RECORD: For almost all kinds of housing, specific kinds of criminal convictions may disqualify you from applying, or at least make it harder for you to get accepted as a tenant.

(3) OTHER SPECIFIC FACTORS: Some housing programs—especially those fully or partially funded by the government—are designed for certain specific groups of people. Your age, income level, disability status, veteran status, homeless status, gender, and whether you have children are just some of the factors that could make you eligible for certain specific housing programs.