Screening forms are the entry point for a household into your program(s). They are designed to collect basic household qualification information. Households that appear to be a good fit become your waitlist or lottery participants.
Screening forms are used to quickly assess whether households may be eligible for a housing opportunity before inviting them to submit a full application. Each screening form is linked to a housing campaign, with its own eligibility criteria, income limits, and program rules.
Screeening forms:
- Quickly assess whether households meet program dealbreaker criteria
- Help match them to housing opportunities and if they should be invited
Households complete the form and are evaluated against these criteria. If eligible, they are added to a candidate pool (for a waitlist or lottery). If not eligible, they receive a notification explaining why.
By filtering and ranking households early, screening forms help reduce unnecessary applications, focus staff effort on the most relevant candidates, and create a fair, structured selection process. They can also support marketing efforts by showing whether campaigns are reaching the right audience and attracting eligible applicants.
Screening forms ask for information about the primary household member, such as name, cell phone, email, household income, assets, debt, and any “deal breaker” program requirements.
Screening forms filter households that are the best candidates for your programs. You are free to adjust these criteria. High-volume clients may tighten the criteria to restrict access, and low-volume clients may relax the criteria to be more accommodating.