Applicant FAQs

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    Answers to Common Questions

    Your financial help for a place to live is based on all the things you report in your application.

    Be completely honest in every part of your application.

    If any of your circumstances change (including the amount of household income or expenses, or information related to the people in your household), update your application right away. It’s easy to do using the Applicant Portal.

    When your application gets near the top of the waiting list, you will be required to show proof of everything you reported.

    The FAQs for Applicants answers questions you might have about the application process and the final steps that lead to housing support.

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    Application Process

    The Apply for Housing page of this website has detailed information and instructions for submitting your application to HASCO. Submit your application from there.

    Apply for Housing

    Use the Applicant Portal to tell HASCO about changes. Report changes to your contact information, who lives with you and information about income and expenses. Check your status on the waiting list(s).

    Applicant Portal

    1. Go to https://hasco.myhousing.com/Account/Login
    2. Login or Create an Account by clicking on the Register tab. To create an account, you need your Entity ID # which was mailed to you after your application was received by HASCO.
    3. Click on My Waiting Lists to see the waiting list(s) on which you are currently active.
    4. In the Update Your Application tab, click on Get Started to change your personal information. Follow the prompts through the entire application before submitting for approval.
    5. In the Your Account tab, you can update your email and password preferences.

    No. You are required to provide this information when you get to the top of the waiting list, but not before. Please wait to provide documentation until HASCO contacts you by mail notifying you that you have reached the top of the waiting list.

    You receive a letter confirming that your name has been placed on the waiting lists you are eligible for.  After receiving this letter, you can create your Applicant Portal account. This account will allow you to check your application status and update your information. Details on how to create your Applicant Portal account are included in the confirmation letter.

    It is up to you to notify HASCO about any changes to your contact information and household members. You are required to report changes to HASCO via the Applicant Portal within 20 days of a change in your mailing address and/or phone number.

    If any mail sent to you by HASCO is returned (even with a forwarding address), it will not be re-sent and your application will be removed from the waiting list(s).

    HASCO will contact you by mail occasionally to confirm your continued interest in the housing program waiting lists you applied for.  If we do not receive a response by the deadline on the letter, your application will be removed from all waiting lists.

    1 $52,700
    2 $60,250
    3 $67,800
    4 $75,350
    5 $81,400
    6 $87,450
    7 $93,400
    8+ $99,450
    Effective 4/1/2024

    There is no estimated date for reopening the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list. Check our website for updates. HASCO will announce in advance when new applications can be made.

    Yes. Every housing authority (HA) maintains its own waiting lists. Everett Housing Authority is the other HA in Snohomish County.

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    Program Details and Differences

    Yes. You can apply for all housing programs for which your household is eligible.

    Yes. HASCO inspects every home where people receiving housing assistance live to make sure it meets health and safety standards.

    Yes. Housing Choice Vouchers can be used anywhere in the United States. If you have a Housing Choice Voucher and want to move out of Snohomish County, contact your current Housing Specialist to learn how. Start the process a few months before you plan to move.

    No. When you move out from one of HASCO’s Senior and Disabled Housing units, you cannot transfer (or take) the assistance with you to a new home unless it is an approved transfer to another unit within the same HASCO program.

    A tenant with a home in the Senior and Disabled Program is allowed up to two (2) pets (cat/dog/bird) as long as each is less than 20 pounds. Service animals are not included in this rule.

    For the Housing Choice Voucher program, it is up to individual landlords to make decisions regarding pets.

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    Waiting List

    HASCO does not give position numbers for the waiting lists. You can check your date of application on the Applicant Portal.

    Senior and Disabled Program housing. All homes are currently occupied. There is a separate waiting list for each property. The wait for an apartment can be up to 7 years from the date of application.

    Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). The estimated waiting time for a Housing Choice Voucher is 3-5 years from the date of application.

    You can check which waiting lists you are currently on, your date of application and update your household information online through the Applicant Portal.

    It is up to you to notify HASCO about any changes to your contact information, household members or financial circumstances. Notify HASCO via the Applicant Portal within 20 days of a change in your mailing address and/or phone number.

    If any mail sent to you by HASCO is returned (even with a forwarding address), it will not be re-sent and your application will be removed from the waiting list(s) for which you applied.

    Yes. Respond by the deadline stated in the letter. We will contact you by mail occasionally to confirm your continued interest in the waiting lists for which you applied.

    If we do not receive your response by the deadline, your application will be removed from all waiting lists.

    Yes. HASCO screens all applicants for criminal history. If an applicant’s criminal background indicates that they may not be a suitable resident, their application for housing assistance may be denied.

    No.

    You will receive a packet in the mail that you must fill out and return to HASCO by the due date listed. This packet includes your new HASCO contact person for any questions you have about completing the paperwork.

    You will be contacted to set up a meeting where you will learn more about your housing support program and next steps to move into your home.

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    Special Circumstances

    HASCO provides translator services free of charge. Contact HASCO’s waiting list team message line at 425-290-8499 extension 536 for assistance.

    Sno-Isle Libraries, located throughout Snohomish County, typically provide laptop computers for public use while on library grounds. To check if the library closest to you has a laptop you can use, use this link: Sno-Isle Laptops.

    If possible, ask to use the computer of a friend, family member or case manager from an agency you currently work with so you can communicate with HASCO about housing support.

    We understand that many community resources are temporarily unavailable due to COVID. If you are unable to borrow a computer, contact HASCO’s waiting list team message line at 425- 290-8499 extension 536. They will help you create an Applicant Portal account over the phone.

    Contact HASCO’s waiting list team message line at 425-290-8499 extension 536 to get answers to questions about the application.

    Coordinated Entry is your first stop and best resource if you are homeless or about to become homeless. Call 2-1-1 to learn more. A housing navigator will talk with you to determine which temporary housing programs you are eligible for and which will have the quickest availability.

    Call Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County at 425-25-ABUSE (425-252-2983) for a 24-hour crisis hotline (collect calls accepted). They provide free and confidential services, emergency shelter, legal advocacy and more.

    No. We are required to draw names off the waiting list according to application dates only, not according to an applicant’s situation.

    No. Our Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waiting list moves according to the date of your application. You will be issued a voucher when your name reaches the top of the waiting list and your eligibility is confirmed.

    You do not need to be a United States citizen to apply for housing, but at least one household member must be a citizen or have eligible immigration status to receive housing help.

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    After You Move In

    You will pay approximately 30% of your household income towards rent.

    Yes. Your landlord will explain their security deposit requirements before you sign a lease.

    Your landlord will explain which utilities they pay and which utilities you will be responsible to pay.

    HASCO sometimes provides financial help for utilities. This help is based on your circumstances at the time your lease is prepared.

    You will be required to show that you remain eligible for housing assistance every year by completing an annual recertification packet and providing updated documentation that shows your income and assets.