How can I figure out if I am applying to/living in private or government-assisted housing?

    Did you apply for the housing through a PHA? If yes, the rules and criminal record exclusions that apply to federal government-assisted housing apply to you.
    Do you have a “Section 8” Housing Choice Voucher? If yes, the rules and criminal record exclusions that apply to federal government-assisted housing apply to you.
    Look up the property online at: http://www.hud.gov/apps/section8/index.cfm. If you still don’t know, ask the OWNER of the property.

Sometimes it’s clear that you live in government-assisted housing because you had to apply for the housing unit or program through a local Public Housing Authority (PHA) or your landlord is the PHA itself. Other times, it’s unclear that you live in government-assisted housing because the owner gets a special benefit directly from the government, and you didn’t know it. The hints above will help you figure out if you are living in government-assisted housing, but you can also ask the owner (the landlord) of the property.