Instructions
How to Apply on the waitlist for BVCOG Housing Choice Voucher Program
BVCOG Housing Authority is accepting applications for the Housing Choice Voucher beginning March 11, 2024, at 9:00 AM and ending on May 31, 2024, at 4:00 PM. The on-line application will be available 24 hours per day. Applications must be submitted on-line.
Applications will not be available in paper form and cannot be submitted at our office. Only one application will be accepted. In order to apply for the Waiting List, you must be 18 years of age or older or an emancipated minor as defined by law. Applicants must qualify based upon the eligibility standards prescribed in the Federal Register and other requirements at the time they are drawn from the Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting List for voucher issuance.
There are various methods in which interested parties may submit their online application for the waiting list: Desktop Computers, Laptops, Tablets and even mobile phones provided these devices are equipped with an Internet Browser.
Interested persons without access to the internet may go to locations with computers available for public use such as public libraries. If your cell phone has a browser, but you do not have internet service, there are many locations that have free Wi-Fi; especially some of the fast-food chains. If you need to request a reasonable accommodation, you may contact our office at 979-595-2800 ext. 2042.
Local Preferences
Brazos Valley Council of Governments (BVCOG) grants preference to applicant families meet one the following four preferences:
- Local Preference: Any household where the head, spouse, or sole member is currently residing within BVCOG’s seven-county jurisdiction at the time of application. Brazos Valley jurisdiction includes the counties of Brazos, Madison, Leon, Grimes (excluding the city of Navasota), Burleson, Robertson, and Washington (excluding the City of Brenham).
- Veteran Preference: BVCOG grants preference to any household where head, spouse, or sole member is a discharged veteran, active military service member, or spouse of a discharged veteran whose discharge from the military was under any condition other than dishonorable or active military service member.
- Non-elderly persons with disabilities: BVCOG also grants preference to non-elderly persons with disabilities who are transitioning from institutional or other segregated settings, at serious risk of institutionalization, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Non-elderly person with disabilities must be at least 18 years of age and less than 62 years of age to be eligible for the mainstream program and does not need to be the head of the household.
- Elderly: Any household where the head, spouse, or sole member of the household is a person who is at least 62 years of age.
All applicants who qualify for the preference will be placed before applicants on the waiting list who do not qualify for the preference.
How to find out your status:
Please check www.assistancecheck.com using this account to receive your Application status. At that time, Active Applicants may use Assistance Connect, which will allow enhanced communication with the Agency. Please do not call the Housing Authority for status information. If your legal or mailing address changes, you must notify the Housing Authority in writing to maintain your waiting list status. Important: If you lose or forget your User ID and/or Password and are unable to answer the security questions to retrieve your information, you will lose access to the system. Losing access to the system will not affect your status on the Waiting List.
When will I be called in?
Being added to the waiting list does not mean that you will receive a voucher right away or that housing assistance is immediately available. As voucher/funding becomes available, BVCOG will draw applicants from the waiting list on a periodic basis.
When your name reaches the top of the waiting list, you will receive a letter in the mail with instructions to schedule an eligibility appointment. At the eligibility appointment, all information stated on the application will be verified. During the eligibility interview process, BVCOG will verify the preferences you checked on your pre-application, conduct a criminal background check on all household members ages 18 years or older, and collect information on your family income, assets and family composition. BVCOG will verify this information to determine your eligibility.
If your family submitted all required documents and has been determined eligible for the program, you will be required to attend a Housing Choice Voucher briefing where you will be issued a voucher.
If BVCOG determines that false information was used in order to receive a higher position on the waiting list, your application will be denied and it will be removed from the waiting list.
Should there be a change of information that would change your status on the waiting list that is not reported until the appointment, BVCOG may return your application back to the waiting list in the correct position.