What are the income limits for state-aided public housing?
To be eligible for state-aided public housing, your household income must be at or under 80 percent of the area median income. The income limits change periodically, please see the "Am I Eligible?" section for the current income limits.
What about state vouchers (MRVP or AHVP), federally subsidized apartments, and Section 8 vouchers? Can I use the CHAMP application?
The CHAMP application is currently for Family and Elderly/Handicapped state-aided public housing and the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP). Please contact your Local Housing Authority or Regional Administering Agency if you are interested in learning more about MRVP, federally subsidized apartments, Section 8 vouchers, or Congregate State-Aided Public Housing (Shared Living). The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) also provides an online application for Section 8 vouchers administered by some Local Housing Authorities in Massachusetts. To apply for Congregate State-Aided Public Housing (Shared Living) you should use the paper application.
How do I request a translator to help me apply using CHAMP?
Both the online and paper CHAMP applications are available in English, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. To request a translator please contact a Local Housing Authority.
I have a disability which makes it difficult for me to file an application. How can I get some assistance?
Please contact any Local Housing Authority for assistance.
What if I want to apply using CHAMP online but I have to use a public computer?
Your online CHAMP application can be accessed using a smart phone (i.e. android or iPhone), tablet, or computer. If you are using a public computer (at a library for example) make sure you do not save any personal or login information to that device and log off completely after you are done. If you are inactive on the CHAMP website for more than 20 minutes you will be logged off automatically.
What should I use as a username when I create a CHAMP account?
You will be required to use an email address as your username when you create an account on the CHAMP website. This will help you access your account in case you forget your password. If you do not have an email or access to a computer, you may still apply for state-aided public housing using a paper CHAMP application.
I submitted an application for public housing in the past, was this application entered into the CHAMP system?
Yes, any active applications previously submitted on paper to a Local Housing Authority are now online in CHAMP. You may search for your application and create an account online using the CHAMP website. Applications for Congregate State-Aided Housing are not online in CHAMP. Congregate State-Aided Public Housing Applications are kept on file by the individual Local Housing Authority administering a Congregate Program Waitlist.
I submitted an application for family or elderly/handicapped public housing a long time ago, will I still have the same timestamp that was on my original application?
Yes, your previous time stamp has been saved online in CHAMP. However, you will need to log into the CHAMP website or contact a Local Housing Authority at least once every two years in order to keep your application active. If you do not keep your application active, it will be given an inactive status and removed from waiting lists after one year of inactivity.
I started a CHAMP application online but did not finish it, how can I go back in to complete it?
If you started an application online, you may finish where you left off by logging into your CHAMP account. You may come back to complete or edit your application at any time, but it will not be submitted until you have completed the Applicant's Certification AND the Fair Information Practices Act -Statement of Rights and clicked “submit.” You must select at least one program at one housing authority where you want to apply in order to submit your application. Once you have submitted a CHAMP application, you will be able to make changes or updates to your application using your online account.
I mailed a CHAMP application to a Local Housing Authority, how long will it take for me to see it online?
Processing times vary by Local Housing Authority. However, all applications will receive a timestamp when they are received and will be available on the CHAMP website after they have been processed. To ensure your application is processed fully, be sure to provide all of the required (*) information, make at least one housing selection, and sign the Applicant's Certification AND the Fair Information Practices Act -Statement of Rights.
How do I add or remove myself from a CHAMP waitlist?
Every Local Housing Authority has a waitlist for each of the housing programs available at their Local Housing Authority. At the end of the CHAMP application there is a full list of the state-aided public housing programs available at each Local Housing Authority. Please see the EOHLC State Public Housing Programs web page for descriptions of each housing program.
Once you have applied using CHAMP and created an account, you will be able to make changes to your application online. You may also update your application by sending a written request to any Local Housing Authority by using the forms. If you can’t access or printout a form online, you may obtain one from a Housing Authority.
How do I update my application for Congregate State-Aided Public Housing (Shared Living)?
Congregate State-Aided Public Housing (Shared Living) waitlists are not managed in CHAMP. Applications for Congregate State-Aided Public Housing (Shared Living) must be submitted individually to LHAs that administer the Congregate Program. Written updates must also be submitted individually to LHAs that administer the Congregate Program. To check on the status of your application for Congregate State-Aided Public Housing (Shared Living), contact the housing authority where you applied to the Congregate Program Waitlist.
Who should I ask if I am having trouble completing the CHAMP application?
For assistance applying with the CHAMP application, please contact a Local Housing Authority.
What if I have more questions about CHAMP and the CHAMP Application verification process?
If you have more questions about CHAMP, the Application verification process, responding to requests for documentation from Local Housing Authorities, or uploading documentation into CHAMP go to the Help page on the CHAMP Website.