What are your income limits?
Most of our units have maximum income limits, but there is no one-size fits all income limit. Limits vary depending on the type of apartment and the size of your family and are set each year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Availability is always changing, but amongst our properties we have apartments with the following 2021 limits*:
- A household with 4 people could make up to $39,150, $46,980, or $62,650
- A household with 3 people could make up to $35,250, $42,300, or $56,400
- A household with 2 people could make up to $31,350, $37,620, or as much as $50,150
- A household with 1 person could make up to $27,450, $32,940, or as much as $43,900
- *Some units have no maximum income restrictions.
Income limits are complex and puzzling, even to us, so we encourage you to apply or give us a call and let us help you understand how the income limits apply in your case.
How long is Shires waitlist? Why do you have a waitlist and still list units as available?
For currently available units we do not typically have a waitlist. When people apply and are either not eligible for what we have currently available or require a unit in a different location or additional accessibility accommodations we will put them on a waitlist. Each time a unit becomes available, we comb through our waitlists to see if the unit is well-suited for any waitlisted applicants.
How do you screen applicants?
In addition to making sure they fit income limits, we screen each application on a case by case basis by conducting a credit check, contacting previous landlords, and checking criminal history. Since our residents do pay electricity we need to verify that they do not have substantial utility debt through a credit check, but we do not deny applicants for poor credit alone.
Is the rent amount based on residents’ incomes?
Our apartments have fixed rents based on funding received. That means we will find a unit with a rent that fits what you can pay, rather than your rent being based on your income. The only time rents are determined based on an applicant’s or resident’s income is when they have a voucher with either the Vermont State Housing Authority or Bennington Housing Authority.
What utilities are included with rent?
Rent includes heat hot water, trash and snow removal, and (in most cases) off-street parking. At our Cora B. Whitney Senior Apartments electricity is also included in rent.
Are there laundry facilities on-site?
Many of our properties do have on-site coin-operated laundry facilities or washer and dryer hook-ups. Check with a property manager about laundry access in specific units.
What is your pet policy?
We accept one pet cat with a $100 security deposit. We do not accept pet dogs.
How are assets such as savings, a 401K, or other retirement accounts factored into income limits?
While we do factor in all assets when determining eligibility, having assets usually does not disqualify an applicant who is otherwise qualified. Assets are factored in as income at a very discounted rate (only 0.06%). Per regulation, regular, periodic withdrawals are treated as income, but one-time withdrawals are not.
How much/often do you raise rents?
Rent amount and the decision to raise rent amounts are not directly linked to your income. If you start making more (or less) your rent will not be changed as a direct result. That said, we do annually raise rents as needed based on our costs and as is reasonable for our renters. Typically, increases are between 0 and 5% per year. We work to make sure each household can afford any increase and has at least 60 days notice of an increase.
Do I have to re-qualify each year? What happens if my income changes?
We do recertify our residents’ incomes annually, but typically if your income goes up you will not be disqualified from renting your unit. While you have to qualify in order to be placed into a unit, as long as your household income stays within 140% of the limitation nothing would change for you. If you do exceed that 140%, sometimes we can shift limitations within our properties.
On the other end, if you fall on hard times and have trouble affording the rent, we will help you to access resources that may be available to you (e.g. vouchers through the Vermont State Housing Authority or Bennington Housing Authority). We do not have the funding/subsidies to directly support gaps you may face but we do work with residents to set up payment plans, in cases where that is feasible for them.