Program Description

The HUD Public Housing assistance program was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single family houses to high-rise apartments for elderly families. As of 2009, there were approximately 1.2 million households living in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 local public housing agencies (HAs).

General Eligibility Requirements

Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. Eligibility is determined by the local public housing agency (PHA). Eligibility is based on:
•    Annual gross income (income limits);
•    Whether the applicant qualifies as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and
•    U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.

If the applicant is found to be eligible for public housing, the public housing agency (PHA) will check the applicants’ references to make sure they will be good tenants. Housing agencies will deny admission to any applicant whose habits and practices may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other tenants or on the project’s environment.

The Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville Public Housing Units

The Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville has 480 public housing units distributed in three Asset Management Projects (AMPs).

AMP 1 is composed of three developments: Buena Vida, Bougainvillea, and Victoria Gardens.

AMP 3 is composed of one development, the Citrus Gardens Annex.

AMP 5 is composed of four developments: Linda Vista, Las Brisas, Rose Gardens, Sunset Terrace and five scattered single-family dwellings.

The HACB also has public housing units at three Tax Credit properties: Villa del Sol High-Rise, Sunset Haven Apartments, and Tropical Gardens Apartments.