Local Preferences

What are local preferences?

Involuntarily displaced
Being removed from rental property through no fault of your own. i.e. fire, flood, condemnation, city or state actions, and landlord wants the property back. Evictions for non-payment of rent is not included.

Working family
The Orlando Housing Authority, OHA is a Moving to Work agency therefore, emphasis will be placed upon admitting families that are employed. The head of household, spouse, or co-head must be employed full-time for at least six (6) continuous months for a minimum of 28 hours or more per week. An interruption of four (4) weeks or less is not considered a break in continuity. Consideration will be given for longer breaks in employment if the adult family members were working an average of twenty (20) hours per week and attending school or job training for ten (10) or more hours per week. If the head of household, spouse, or co-head is unable to work because they are at least age 62 and/or have a disability they will qualify under this preference.

Former Public Housing or Section 8 Voucher participant and became a home owner
Former public housing resident or Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher tenant participant who acquired a home, met the requirements of the OHA home ownership program (including home ownership training, and lost that home due to insufficient income.

Graduates of Transitional Housing Programs
Graduates of Transitional Housing Programs, defined as homeless individuals or families that enter into a lease or occupancy agreement solely for the purpose of participating in a program whose terms include program activities for a specified amount of time. Once the individual or family has met all program requirements, they would be eligible to graduate and transition to permanent housing.

Verified Honorable Discharged Veteran
Preference will be given to applicants who can verify that they have been honorably discharged from any branch of the military

Orange County
Preference will be given to applicants and pre-applicants that live, work, or have a verified offer for employment in Orange County.

Seminole County
Preference will be given to applicants and pre-applicants that live, work, or have a verified offer for employment in Sanford or Seminole County.