ACOP - San Antonio Housing Authority

A. Purpose
SCREENING AND EVICTION POLICY
1. This Policy is intended to give SAHA an effective tool for adopting and
implementing fair, effective, and comprehensive policies for screening out
program applicants who engage in illegal drug use or other criminal activity and
for evicting or terminating assistance of persons who engage in such activity.
B. Administration
1. All screening and eviction procedures shall be administered fairly and in such a
way as not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, religion, age,
sex, familial status, disability or other legally-protected groups, and not to violate
right to privacy.
2. To the maximum extent possible, the Authority will involve other community and
governmental entities, as well as resident organizations, in the promotion and
enforcement of this Policy.
3. This Policy will be posted on the Authority's bulletin board and copies made
readily available to residents and/or applicants upon request.
C. Screening of Applicants
1. The PHA is responsible for screening family behavior and suitability for tenancy.
The PHA is responsible for screening family behavior and suitability for tenancy.
The PHA may consider all relevant information which; may include, but is not
limited to: (e.g., information from criminal history record convictions, arrests,
and/or evictions. The PHA will consider all information relevant to reasonable
cause from former landlords or neighbors relevant to a household member’s
pattern of disturbances, destruction of property, living and housekeeping habits,
or history of criminal activity, or drug and/or alcohol abuse, which may threaten
the health or safety of, or the right to peaceful enjoyment of, the premises by
other residents.
2. In accordance with HUD guidelines in order to avoid admitting residents whose
presence might be damaging to the health, safety and welfare of the residents,
SAHA will obtain criminal summary history information from State and/or Local
law enforcement agencies, on all prospective applicants who are 17 years of
age, or older for public housing owned or operated by the SAHA for the purpose
of determining resident eligibility.
3. SAHA will test all applicants against the following additional criteria:
a. Is there a history of criminal activity involving crimes of physical
violence to persons or property or other criminal acts which might have
SAHA ACOP Page 42 of 60 1/2012