Community-Wide vs Site-Based Public Housing Waiting Lists
A site-based public housing waiting list lets applicants choose one or more specific public housing developments instead of being placed only on one central list for the housing authority's entire public housing portfolio. A community-wide waiting list works more centrally: the PHA maintains one broader public housing list and later matches eligible applicants to available developments under its assignment policy. Neither structure is required everywhere, so applicants must check the local PHA's current admissions policy before deciding which properties to select.
The difference matters because waiting-list structure can change which developments you are considered for, how many separate list positions you may have, and what happens when a unit becomes available. Federal law allows PHAs to use site-based waiting lists, but a PHA that does so must disclose the project-selection options available to applicants and must operate the system consistently with applicable civil-rights laws.
Community-Wide vs Site-Based Public Housing Waiting Lists
The simplest distinction is whether the PHA treats its public housing portfolio as one central applicant pool or divides applicants by development. A community-wide public housing waiting list generally places an applicant into a central public housing queue or pool that can serve multiple developments. A site-based system generally creates a separate waiting list, designation, or applicant pool for one development or a defined group of developments.
That distinction does not tell you whether a list is open, how long the wait will be, or whether you qualify. Those are separate questions. This page owns the structure of the list and the effect of property selection; the public housing application guide covers the application process itself.
What Is a Community-Wide Public Housing Waiting List?
A community-wide list is a centralized public housing waiting-list structure used by a PHA across multiple developments or much of its public housing portfolio. Instead of applying separately to Development A, Development B, and Development C, an applicant may enter one broader public housing list and later be considered for a suitable unit according to the PHA's local admissions and assignment rules.
The exact mechanics vary. One PHA may ask applicants to rank neighborhoods or developments while still keeping one central list. Another may use a broad list and make unit offers based on bedroom size, accessibility needs, preferences, and availability. The phrase community-wide waiting list therefore describes the central structure, not one universal method of property assignment.
What Is a Site-Based Public Housing Waiting List?
A site-based public housing waiting list is tied to a particular development or site rather than only to the PHA's full public housing portfolio. Federal law expressly allows PHAs to establish site-based procedures under which applicants may apply directly at, or otherwise designate, the public housing project or projects where they want to live.
In practical terms, an applicant may be able to select several developments and be tracked separately for each selected site. The PHA's written policy controls how selections are made, whether selections can later be changed, how many sites may be chosen, and how applicants are ranked within each site-based list.
Federal Law Allows Site-Based Public Housing Waiting Lists
Site-based public housing lists are not an unofficial local workaround. Federal public housing law authorizes PHAs to establish procedures for maintaining waiting lists that can include a site-based system. The law also requires those procedures to comply with the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and other applicable civil-rights protections.
The statute also requires full disclosure of the options available to an applicant in selecting a project. That disclosure requirement is important because choosing one site instead of another can materially affect which future unit offers the household can receive.
Not Every PHA Uses Site-Based Waiting Lists
Do not assume that every housing authority operates separate property lists. Some PHAs use a community-wide system, some use site-based lists, and some use a hybrid structure in which certain developments have separate lists while other units are handled through a broader central list.
The correct source is the PHA's current admissions policy, application portal, waiting-list notice, or other official instructions. If you are not sure which PHA administers the public housing in the area, first use the local PHA guide.
A Community-Wide List Does Not Always Mean You Have No Property Choice
One common mistake is to assume that a central public housing list means applicants can never express a development preference. A PHA can maintain a centralized list while still asking applicants to identify acceptable locations, bedroom types, designated populations, or other property choices.
The important question is whether those choices create separate list positions or simply guide later assignment from one central list. Read the PHA's instructions carefully because the word “choice” can describe different things in different local systems.
A Site-Based List Does Not Mean You Apply to the Property Manager Like a Private Apartment
A site-based list remains part of the public housing admission system. The fact that a list is associated with a particular development does not automatically turn the process into an ordinary private rental application.
The PHA remains responsible for the public housing admissions framework even if an application is accepted at a development office or through a property-specific portal authorized by the PHA. Before submitting sensitive information, verify the official application channel through the housing authority.
How Property Selection Works on a Site-Based Waiting List
When a PHA uses site-based lists, the application may ask you to choose one development, several developments, or every development for which you want to be considered. Your selections can determine the site-based applicant pools in which your household appears.
Choosing a site is not the same as being approved for a unit there. You still must meet the applicable public housing eligibility and screening requirements, and a unit must become available that is appropriate for your household under the PHA's policies.
Can You Choose More Than One Public Housing Development?
Federal law permits a site-based system in which applicants may designate the project or projects where they seek to live. Whether a particular PHA lets you select one site, several sites, or all eligible sites is controlled by that PHA's local policy.
If multiple selections are allowed, choosing more than one development can expand the number of locations for which you may be considered. It does not guarantee a faster offer because availability, list position, household size, preferences, and unit characteristics still matter.
Does Selecting More Sites Improve Your Chances?
Selecting more acceptable developments can broaden the set of future vacancies for which your household may potentially be considered. That is a practical consequence of being on more than one applicable site list, not a guarantee that the PHA will house you sooner.
Only select developments where you would realistically consider living. A broad selection strategy can create problems if the PHA's refusal or offer policy has consequences when a suitable unit is later offered. The rules for accepting or declining a unit belong to the separate unit-offer stage.
Does Selecting Fewer Sites Make the Wait Longer?
It can. If you limit your application to a small number of developments, you are generally dependent on vacancies that arise in those selected locations. A household choosing many acceptable sites may have access to a broader set of possible vacancies.
However, no national formula can predict the effect on wait time. Turnover differs by development, unit size, accessibility features, local preferences, and the number of applicants ahead of you. Do not rely on an unofficial estimate as a promise.
Can You Change Your Development Choices Later?
Possibly. A PHA may allow applicants to add, remove, or change site selections, but federal law does not create one universal applicant-controlled editing rule for every housing authority. The PHA's Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy, waiting-list procedures, or portal instructions determine what changes are permitted and how they affect your list position.
Before changing a selection, ask whether the change keeps your original application date or priority, creates a new site-based application date, or has another effect. Do not assume that adding a property later will preserve the same position you had on another list.
Can You Remove a Development You No Longer Want?
Many local systems provide some method for updating property choices, but the procedure and consequences vary. If you know that you would not accept a particular development, contact the PHA before simply ignoring a future notice.
Keep proof of any requested change. A saved confirmation, letter, email, or portal screenshot can help establish which site selections were active and when the change was submitted.
Can You Add a Development After You Already Applied?
A PHA may permit an applicant to add another development when that site's list is available for new selections, but that is not guaranteed. The newly selected site can have its own effective application date or ranking treatment under local policy.
This is why applicants should read the site-selection rules before submitting the original application. If you are still preparing the application, the public housing application documents checklist can help you organize the records a PHA may later request.
What Happens If a Site-Based List Is Closed?
A closed site-based list generally means the PHA is not currently accepting new applications or new site selections for that list. It does not necessarily mean the development has no public housing units or that existing applicants were removed.
Because list status can change, verify open or closed status directly from the responsible PHA on the day you plan to apply or modify your choices. This article does not list currently open properties.
Can One Development Be Closed While Another Is Open?
Yes, a site-based system can allow different developments to have different application availability. One list may be closed because it already has enough applicants while another development may still accept applications or selections.
That is one practical difference from a purely community-wide structure, where the PHA may open or close one broader public housing list for multiple developments at once. Local policy controls the actual configuration.
How a Community-Wide List Can Affect Unit Offers
Under a community-wide structure, the PHA generally works from one broader applicant pool and then identifies a suitable vacancy according to its assignment and tenant-selection rules. The applicant's list position is therefore not usually a separate position for every individual property unless the PHA has added property-specific components to the system.
When a suitable unit becomes available, the PHA can consider factors such as unit size, accessibility, designated population, applicable preferences, and the property's eligibility requirements. The detailed ranking and selection process belongs to the broader public housing waiting-list guide rather than this comparison page.
How a Site-Based List Can Affect Unit Offers
With a site-based public housing waiting list, the vacancy is generally matched against the applicant pool associated with that development. If you did not select that development, you may not be considered for that site's vacancy unless the PHA's policy provides another way to add or refer applicants.
This makes property selection a meaningful application decision. Selecting only one site can preserve a strong location preference, while selecting several sites can broaden the range of developments from which an offer might come.
Does a Site-Based List Give You a Separate Number for Every Property?
Not necessarily. Some local systems display separate positions or statuses for each property, while others do not provide a numerical rank at all. A site-based structure means the applicant is associated with a particular site-specific pool; it does not require every PHA to show applicants a live numbered position.
Do not treat a missing number as proof that your application disappeared. Follow the PHA's official status process when you need to confirm whether an application remains active.
Does a Community-Wide List Give You One Number?
It may, but not every PHA publishes a precise numbered position. PHAs can use preferences, date and time, drawings, or other lawful selection methods under applicable rules, so a simple number may not capture how selection actually works.
The list structure and the selection method are related but different. This article covers the structure; the separate waiting-list process page covers ranking, canvassing, and selection.
Community-Wide Does Not Mean First Come, First Served Everywhere
A central list is not automatically a pure first-come, first-served queue. A PHA can apply lawful local preferences and other selection rules within its public housing admissions system.
Similarly, a site-based list is not automatically a lottery. Applicants should read the PHA's written waiting-list and tenant-selection policy instead of inferring the selection method from whether the list is community-wide or property-specific.
Site-Based Does Not Mean the Property Chooses Applicants Without PHA Rules
Traditional public housing site-based lists remain subject to the PHA's public housing admissions framework and federal civil-rights requirements. A development cannot be treated as an entirely separate private landlord process simply because applicants choose that site.
This distinction becomes especially important when comparing traditional public housing with Project-Based Voucher properties, where ownership and waiting-list administration can be structured differently.
Public Housing Site-Based Lists vs PBV Site-Based Lists
The phrase “site-based waiting list” appears in more than one HUD housing context. A site-based public housing list is associated with traditional public housing admissions. A Project-Based Voucher list is part of the PBV program, where assistance is attached to particular contract units and the property can be privately or nonprofit owned.
Do not assume the two systems have identical rules merely because both may be property-specific. Use the public housing vs PBV waiting-list comparison when the program itself is unclear, and see the PBV program guide for the broader Project-Based Voucher framework.
Public Housing Lists vs Housing Choice Voucher Lists
Public housing waiting lists are also different from tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher waiting lists. Public housing involves units in the PHA's public housing portfolio, while HCV assistance is generally tenant-based and used with qualifying private-market housing after voucher issuance.
A housing authority may have one program open while another is closed. If the program distinction is uncertain, use the Public Housing vs Section 8 guide.
Why Fair Housing Rules Matter in Site-Based Selection
Congress expressly required public housing site-based waiting-list procedures to comply with Title VI, the Fair Housing Act, and other applicable civil-rights laws. Property choice cannot be administered as a tool for unlawful discrimination or segregation.
Applicants should be given the options the PHA makes available under its system. If you believe disability, race, national origin, familial status, religion, sex, or another protected characteristic affected access to a housing opportunity, the fair housing and discrimination guide explains the broader rights framework.
Reasonable Accommodation and Property Selection
A disability can affect which development or unit is suitable. An applicant may need an accessible unit, proximity to disability-related services, an alternate communication method, help using the application system, or another reasonable accommodation connected to the admissions process.
The existence of a site-based system does not eliminate reasonable-accommodation rights. If a disability creates a barrier to choosing, updating, or responding to a property selection, see the public housing reasonable accommodation guide.
Bedroom Size Can Limit Which Site Lists Matter
A development can have units that do not match the household's applicable bedroom size. Selecting every property on a map does not necessarily make every site a realistic option if some developments lack the unit types the household can use.
The PHA applies its occupancy and unit-assignment standards. Household size is relevant, but it is not always a simple one-person-per-bedroom formula.
Accessible Units Can Affect Site Selection
Applicants who need accessibility features should distinguish between a development that generally appears suitable and a unit that actually meets the household's disability-related needs. Not every site has the same inventory of accessible unit types or features.
Ask the PHA how accessibility needs are recorded in the waiting-list system and whether selecting a development with no appropriate unit affects your application strategy.
Senior or Designated Developments Can Have Separate Eligibility Considerations
Some public housing developments are designated or structured for particular populations, such as elderly families, persons with disabilities, or mixed populations under applicable program rules. A property-specific list can therefore have requirements that are not relevant to every applicant.
Do not select a development solely because its apparent waiting list seems shorter. First confirm that the household can actually be considered for the type of housing offered there.
Can a PHA Use Both Community-Wide and Site-Based Lists?
A PHA's local structure can combine approaches. For example, a broader central list may serve part of the portfolio while particular developments use separate site-based lists, or the PHA may use central intake while allowing applicants to designate specific properties.
Because local systems can be hybrid, the most important question is not what the portal calls the list. Ask how your property choices affect the applicant pools in which you are actually placed.
How to Read a PHA's Waiting-List Instructions
Look for language explaining whether the application is for “all public housing,” a “community-wide” list, a named development, a “site-based” list, a “property-specific” list, or a selection of multiple developments. Then identify whether the PHA treats those choices as separate lists or preferences within one central system.
If the instructions are unclear, contact the PHA before submitting duplicate applications. The local public housing authority guide explains how to verify the responsible agency and official contact channel.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing Developments
- Is this one community-wide public housing list or a separate list for each development?
- Can I select more than one development?
- Does each site have a separate effective application date or ranking?
- Can I add or remove developments after applying?
- Will changing my selections affect my original date or priority?
- Which developments have unit sizes appropriate for my household?
- How are accessibility needs handled?
- Are any sites limited or designated for particular populations?
- What happens if I decline an offer from a selected development?
- How will the PHA notify me if a site or program changes?
Do Not Submit Duplicate Applications to Create Extra Positions
A site-based system can legitimately produce multiple property selections, but that does not mean you should submit duplicate applications to the same list. Follow the PHA's instructions for adding sites or updating selections rather than creating multiple accounts or repeated submissions unless the agency expressly requires separate applications.
For the basic submission workflow, use How to Apply for Public Housing.
Keep Proof of Every Site Selection
Save the confirmation showing which developments you selected. If you later add or remove a site, preserve the updated confirmation and the date of the change.
This record becomes especially useful if a portal later displays different selections or if the PHA asks which properties you intended to choose.
Keep Contact Information Current on Every Relevant Application
Whether you are on one central list or several site-based lists, the PHA needs current contact information to reach you. A household can lose an opportunity if notices go to an old mailing address, phone number, or email account and the PHA's policy treats the application as abandoned or unresponsive.
The public housing application guide explains the broader duty to maintain the application while waiting.
What Happens When a Development Leaves Traditional Public Housing?
Public housing properties can sometimes undergo a program change or “repositioning,” including a conversion under HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration. A program change can alter the assistance platform and can require new waiting-list procedures for future applicants.
Do not assume that an existing community-wide or site-based public housing application automatically becomes a PBV or PBRA application in the same way everywhere. Follow the PHA's official conversion notice and instructions. For the program-level explanation, see the Rental Assistance Demonstration guide.
RAD Conversion Does Not Turn Every Public Housing List Into the Same New List
RAD can convert a public housing property from Section 9 public housing assistance to long-term Section 8 project-based assistance. The waiting-list implications depend on the conversion structure, timing, local policies, and HUD requirements.
This article intentionally does not reproduce RAD list-conversion rules. If a development you selected is converting, rely on the PHA's current written notice and the controlling RAD requirements rather than a general public housing waiting-list assumption.
What If a Development Is Demolished, Disposed of, or Repositioned Another Way?
Other public housing repositioning tools can also change the future status of a property. The effect on applicants can differ from the protections and procedures that apply to current residents.
If you are an applicant, ask the PHA specifically whether your site selection remains active, is being transferred, must be replaced with another selection, or will be handled through a different program. Do not infer the answer from the fact that the property is still physically standing.
How Program Changes Can Affect a Community-Wide List
If a PHA removes or converts one development, a community-wide applicant may still remain on the broader public housing list if the PHA continues to operate other public housing developments and its policy provides for that treatment. The exact effect depends on the local admissions policy and the program action affecting the property.
The important point is that a central list is associated with a broader pool, while a site-specific applicant may have a more direct connection to a particular development. That structural difference can matter when the portfolio changes.
How Program Changes Can Affect a Site-Based List
A site-based applicant should pay close attention to notices about the specific development selected. If that site's program changes, the PHA may need to explain what happens to applicants associated with the old list.
Never assume that silence means your position was preserved. Save all conversion notices and ask the PHA how the change affects your existing application and other site selections.
Community-Wide vs Site-Based Lists and Unit Refusals
The structure of the waiting list can affect which property produces an offer, but the consequences of accepting or refusing the offered unit are controlled by the PHA's assignment and offer policy. A refusal can have different consequences depending on the circumstances and local rules.
This article does not own the unit-offer decision. When an actual offer arrives, read the written notice and the PHA policy before declining it.
Does a Site-Based List Guarantee an Offer From the Property You Chose?
No. Selecting a site means you want to be considered under that site's waiting-list structure. It does not create a right to a unit, a guaranteed timeline, a particular apartment, or a particular floor plan.
The household must still satisfy eligibility and screening requirements, and an appropriate unit must become available. For the overall qualification framework, use the public housing eligibility guide.
Does a Community-Wide List Mean the PHA Can Offer Any Unit Anywhere?
Not without regard to its own policies and the household's circumstances. The PHA still must apply its admissions, assignment, occupancy, accessibility, and civil-rights requirements.
A community-wide structure gives the agency a broader pool for matching applicants to vacancies, but it does not eliminate legal and policy limits on which units are appropriate for which households.
Which Waiting-List Structure Is Better?
Neither structure is universally better. A community-wide list can simplify entry into a PHA's broader public housing portfolio and may reduce the need to manage many separate applications. A site-based system can give applicants more direct control over where they are willing to live.
The tradeoff is choice versus breadth. Restricting your application to selected sites can protect your location preferences but can also narrow the vacancies for which you may be considered. A central list can broaden potential matching but may provide less property-specific control, depending on the PHA's assignment policy.
When a Site-Based List May Fit Your Priorities
A site-based system may be useful when location is critical because of work, school, caregiving, medical access, transportation, disability-related needs, or another practical reason. It lets applicants focus on developments they would realistically accept when local policy permits that choice.
Do not assume that choosing only one preferred site creates any priority over applicants already ahead of you on that site's list.
When a Community-Wide List May Fit Your Priorities
A community-wide list can be useful when the main goal is access to suitable public housing anywhere within the PHA's portfolio rather than one particular development. A broader matching pool can expose the household to more possible vacancies.
Again, this does not mean a shorter wait is guaranteed. The PHA's inventory, turnover, preferences, and household-unit match remain important.
How to Decide Which Developments to Select
Use practical criteria rather than an unofficial rumor about which list “moves fastest.” Consider transportation, school and work access, medical needs, caregiving, accessibility, development eligibility, household size, and whether you would actually accept an offer there.
If the PHA provides official information about developments, use it to compare sites. Do not rely on an old social-media post or third-party apartment directory to determine current public housing list status.
Do Different Sites Have Different Wait Times?
They can, because vacancies and demand are not identical across developments. A high-demand site with little turnover may move differently from a larger development with more units, but the PHA may not be able to predict an exact wait.
Any published estimate should be treated as an estimate, not a promise. This page does not publish current local wait times because those figures require local verification and can change.
Can a Site-Based List Open for Only Certain Unit Sizes?
A PHA can structure application opportunities around actual program needs and available unit categories under its policies. A development may have demand or availability that differs by bedroom size, accessibility, or designated population.
Read the opening notice carefully. An “open” development does not necessarily mean every household size or unit type is accepting applications.
Can You Be on a Community-Wide List and a Site-Based List at the Same Time?
Potentially, if the PHA's system includes both structures and its policy permits applicants to participate in both. There is no universal national rule requiring every hybrid PHA to handle this the same way.
Ask whether the two entries are separate applicant pools, whether one replaces the other, and whether updates must be made in more than one place.
Can You Apply to Public Housing and PBV Lists at the Same Time?
Potentially, because public housing and PBV are different housing-assistance paths and can have separate waiting lists. Whether the relevant lists are open and whether a household may submit applications depends on the local programs.
Do not confuse multiple legitimate program applications with duplicate submissions to one list. The public housing vs PBV waiting-list guide explains the distinction.
Can You Apply to Public Housing and Section 8 at the Same Time?
A household can potentially pursue separate public housing and Housing Choice Voucher opportunities when the respective PHAs or programs are accepting applications. The lists are not interchangeable merely because the same housing authority may administer both programs.
Use Public Housing vs Section 8 if you need to decide which program you are applying for.
Common Mistakes With Public Housing Property Lists
- Assuming every PHA uses property-specific waiting lists.
- Assuming a community-wide list means applicants have no location choices.
- Submitting duplicate applications instead of using the PHA's site-selection process.
- Selecting developments the household would never accept.
- Assuming adding a site later preserves the same date or position.
- Treating an unofficial property directory as proof that a waiting list is open.
- Confusing traditional public housing site-based lists with PBV property lists.
- Ignoring accessibility or bedroom-size requirements when choosing developments.
- Failing to save proof of selected sites and later updates.
- Ignoring notices when a selected development converts, closes, or changes programs.
How to Confirm Which Type of Public Housing Waiting List You Are On
- Identify the program. Confirm that the application is traditional public housing rather than HCV, PBV, PBRA, LIHTC, or another affordable housing program.
- Read the application confirmation. Look for a central public housing list or named developments.
- Check the PHA's admissions policy. Search for waiting-list, site-based, property-selection, and unit-assignment provisions.
- Review your property selections. Determine whether the portal shows separate site entries or one central application.
- Ask how changes affect your position. Do this before adding or removing developments.
- Save the answer and confirmation. Keep written proof whenever possible.
Questions Applicants Ask About Site-Based Waiting Lists
What does site-based waiting list mean?
It means the waiting list or applicant pool is tied to a particular public housing development or site rather than only to one central PHA-wide list.
What does community-wide waiting list mean?
It generally means the PHA uses one broader public housing applicant pool for multiple developments, although applicants may still have location or development choices under local policy.
Can I pick the public housing development I want?
If the PHA uses site-based lists or another property-selection system, you may be able to choose one or more developments. The PHA's current policy controls the available options.
Can I be on more than one property list?
Potentially, if the PHA permits applicants to select multiple developments.
Will I have the same position on every site list?
Not necessarily. Sites can have different applicant pools, preferences, application dates, and vacancy patterns under local policy.
Can I add another property later?
Possibly, but the PHA determines whether the site is accepting selections and how a later addition affects ranking or effective date.
Can I remove a property without losing my other selections?
That may be allowed, but confirm the PHA's policy before making the change.
Is a site-based list faster?
Not automatically. Wait time depends on the site's vacancies, applicant demand, unit type, preferences, and household match.
Is a community-wide list faster?
Not automatically. A broader pool can provide access to more developments, but selection still depends on vacancies and PHA rules.
Does site-based mean Section 8?
No. Traditional public housing can use site-based waiting lists. PBV can also involve property-specific lists, but it is a different program.
Does community-wide mean public housing only?
The term in this article refers to public housing list structure. Other housing programs can use centralized waiting-list arrangements, but their rules are different.
Can I choose a site after I reach the top of the list?
That depends on whether the PHA uses a central list with later property assignment or requires site choices earlier. Follow the local policy.
What if the property I selected converts under RAD?
Follow the PHA's conversion notice and ask specifically how the conversion affects applicants on the existing list. Do not assume automatic transfer or removal.
What if the property list closes after I apply?
A closure to new applicants does not automatically mean existing applicants are removed. Check your status through the PHA's official process.
Can a PHA change from a community-wide list to site-based lists?
A PHA can change its waiting-list policies when it does so in accordance with applicable federal requirements, its PHA Plan obligations, civil-rights rules, and other controlling requirements. Applicants should receive and follow the agency's official instructions about how an existing application is treated.
Can a PHA change from site-based lists to one central list?
Program policies can change, but the treatment of existing applicants depends on the PHA's approved procedures and applicable requirements. Do not assume your old site position automatically becomes a particular central-list position.
What to Do Before You Finalize Property Choices
First, confirm that you are applying for traditional public housing through the correct PHA. Then determine whether the agency uses a community-wide list, site-based lists, or a hybrid system. Review the developments available to your household and select only those you would realistically consider.
Finally, save proof of the selections and learn the PHA's rule for changing them. If you still need to submit the application, the public housing application guide provides the action steps.
Why Waiting-List Structure Changes Your Housing Strategy
The difference between a community-wide list and a site-based public housing waiting list is not just terminology. It determines whether you are being considered through one broader public housing pool or through one or more property-specific applicant pools, and that can shape which vacancies can lead to an offer.
Use the PHA's current written policy as the controlling local source. Choose developments carefully, keep every selection current, preserve confirmation records, and do not confuse public housing site-based lists with PBV or other affordable-housing property lists. For the broader public housing framework, see the Public Housing complete guide.