Park Tower Apartments
731 SW Salmon St., Portland OR 97205
(503) 227-3367

Section 8, HUD –subsidized housing for low-income seniors and disabled persons

---Rental Screening Criteria and Policies---

I. Occupancy Policy
1. Occupancy is based on the number of bedrooms in a unit. (A bedroom is defined as a space within the premises that is used primarily for sleeping, with at least one window and a closet for clothing.)
2. Two persons are allowed per bedroom.

II. Application Process
Steps to become a resident at Park Tower...
1. Complete the application on the provided application form. Please fill out the application as completely as possible. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant.
2. Park Tower fills all vacancies from a waiting list. Applications are not screened until the applicant approaches the top of the waiting list. Please contact the Park Tower office in writing if any of the information on your application changes.
3. If we are unable to contact you due to an unreported change, you will be dropped from the waiting list.
4. We give a preference on our waiting list to extremely low-income households earning 30 percent or less of median income. We also give a preference on our waiting list to households whose head, spouse, and/or co-head is 62 or older.
5. If your application is approved and you accept the available unit, you will be required to sign a Rental Agreement in which you will agree to abide by all of Park Tower’s rules and regulations. You are encouraged to read the Rental Agreement at the time of application. You will also be required to pay a security deposit equal to one month’s rent and utilities.

III. Disabled Accessibility
Park Tower is willing to make and allow reasonable accommodations for reasonable changes to the units and common areas that will provide accessibility to all residents. The applicant or tenant must seek the landlord’s written approval before making any modifications. Each request will be evaluated under state and federal law to determine who will be responsible for the cost. Requirements for modifications include:
1. Written approval from the landlord before modifications are made,
2. Written assurances that the work will be performed in a professional manner,
3. Written proposals detailing the extent of the work to be done,
4. Documents identifying the names and qualifications of the contractors to be hired.,
5. Furnishing of all appropriate building permits and required licenses for landlord inspection.

IV. General Requirements
1. Positive identification in the form of picture identification stating your date of birth will be required.
2. A complete and accurate application listing your current rental/residential reference and your last five years of rental/residential history with phone numbers will be required. (Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant.)
3. Each applicant will be required to qualify individually. (Individuals whose credit is not combined must submit separate applications.)
4. Primary applicants must be eighteen years of age or older, emancipated, or, in the city of Portland, legally able to contract under state statutes.

V. Income Requirements
1. Rent at Park Tower is approximately 30% of your adjusted gross monthly income.
2. Employment or other source of income will be verified through a third party.
3. Annual income limits:
a. $23,050 for an individual,
b. $26,300 for a family of two.
4. Employment and income will be verified through a third party.
5. Employment of self-employed applicants will be verified through state and/or federal documents. A recorded business name or corporate filing will be sufficient to meet employment requirements.

VII. Rental Requirements
1. Your current rental/residential reference and your last five years of rental/residential history will be verified.
2. Home ownership is verified through the county tax assessor. Mortgage payments must be current.
3. Home ownership negotiated through a land sales contract is verified through the contract holder.
4. Five years of eviction-free rental/residential history will be required.
5. Rental history reflecting more than $500.00 in damages will result in denial, regardless of settled debt.
6. Rental history demonstrating documented noise, disturbances, or other complaints will result in denial when the manager would not re-rent.
7. Rental history reflecting past-due rent will result in denial (unless the debt has been settled and the manager would re-rent).

VIII. Credit Requirements
1. Good credit will be required for an unconditional approval. If negative or adverse credit is reported, the following criteria will be used:
a. Outstanding bad debt reported on the credit file which is more than $3,000 will result in denial, unless the debt is a verifiable medical expense, or the debt is a bankruptcy and no negative information has been reported since the bankruptcy.
b. Ten or more past-due accounts on the credit file will result in denial.

IX. Criminal Convictions
When an applicant’s name approaches the top of the waiting list, a search of public records will be conducted to determine whether the applicant or any proposed tenant has been convicted of, or pled guilty to or no-contest to, any crime.
· A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, ever, for: any felony involving serious injury, kidnapping, death, arson, rape, sex crimes and/or child sex crimes, extensive property damage or drug-related offenses (sale, manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to sell), class A/Felony burglary or class A/Felony robbery; or
· A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, where the date of disposition, release or parole has occurred within the last seven years for: any other felony charges; or
· A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, where the date of disposition, release or parole has occurred within the last seven years for: any class A misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor involving assault, intimidation, sex related, drug related (sale, manufacture, delivery or possession), property damage or weapons charges; or
· A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, where the date of disposition, release or parole has occurred within the last three years for: any class B or C misdemeanor in the above categories or any misdemeanor involving criminal trespass I, theft, dishonesty, or prostitution
shall be grounds for denial of the rental application. Pending charges or outstanding warrants for any of the above will result in a suspension of the application process until the charges are resolved. Upon resolution, if an appropriate unit is still available, the processing of the application will be completed. No unit will be held awaiting resolution of pending charges.

X. Rejection Policy
If your application is rejected due to unfavorable information received on your background investigation, you may:
1. Contact Pacific Screening to discuss your application. PO Box 25582, Portland OR 97298. 503-297-1941.
2. Contact Pacific Screening to find out the name of the credit reporting agency which is reporting the unfavorable information.
3. Correct any incorrect information through the credit reporting agency as per their policy.
4. Request that the credit reporting agency submit a corrected credit check to Pacific Screening.
Upon receipt of the correct and satisfactory information, your application will be reevaluated for the next available unit.

Be Advised:
1. Incomplete, inaccurate, or falsified information will be grounds for denial.
2. Any applicant currently using illegal drugs or reporting a conviction for the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance shall be denied.
3. Any individual who may constitute a direct threat to the health and safety of an individual, the complex, or the property of others will be denied.

If, after you have contacted Pacific Screening, you continue to feel that you qualify as a resident under the criteria set out above, or you wish to request a reasonable accommodation, you should write a letter to:

Park Tower Apartments
Equal Housing Opportunity
731 SW Salmon
Portland OR 97205

In your letter, please explain the reasons you believe your application should be approved and request a review of your file. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation, please include that in your letter. Within seven working days of receipt of your letter, your application will be reviewed and you will be notified of the outcome of the review.