Shawsheen Ridge, Bedford, MA

Lottery description:

1. The applications for this housing opportunity will be generally available, including online (www.rhsohousing.org/looking-housing and www.mymasshome.org), in hardcopy at the Regional Housing Services Office, and sent to anyone interested in the lottery. Notice of the lottery will be advertised, and communicated through local, regional and state channels.
2. Applications are to be submitted with all required information by the deadline. Applications can be mailed or dropped off at the address above. Applications that are dropped off should be placed in the big black metal mailbox outside the RHSO office building. Applications may also be emailed, but accompanying documentation should be compiled such that the total submission email(s) has no more than 5 attachments, with the applicant consolidating the information. Applicants are encouraged to complete the checklist as an aide to the process. If you choose to email your application, please call the office to confirm we have received it – we sometimes do not receive emails with very large attachments. You may also contact Jen at JenP@rhsohousing.org for a SharePoint link where you can upload your documents. Late & incomplete applications will not be accepted.
3. The applicant’s household size will be determined from the application, and the required number of bedrooms as indicated on the application. Priority shall be given to households requiring two bedrooms first, followed by one bedroom. 

4. The applicant’s income will be verified and compared to the income limits published by HUD for the Boston Metropolitan Statistical Area. Income includes all income prior to any deductions from all adult household members, and are determined using the method as in the HUD Section 8 program defined at 24 CFR 5.609. An imputed income amount of 0.4% of assets will be added to income for assets over $50,000. The most recent income limits will be used, currently the 2025 limits: 

   1 person- $92,650, 2 person- $105,850, 3 person- $119,100, 4 person- $132,300

5. Household assets shall not exceed $75,000 in value. Assets include but are not limited to all cash, cash in savings accounts, checking accounts, certificates of deposit, bonds, stocks, the cash value of retirement accounts, all Gift amounts, value of real estate holdings and other capital investments. Equity from the sale of any home will be included with other household assets that cannot exceed the household asset value limits noted above. The value of necessary personal property (furniture, vehicles) is excluded from asset values. 

6. Eligible applicants must be a First-time Homebuyer. This is further defined as a household that has not owned a home within three years, including in trust, preceding the application, with the exception of displaced homemaker, single parents and senior households (at least one household member is 55 or over). Eligible applicants cannot own residential property, whether for primary, secondary or investment purposes.

   -A displaced homemaker is an individual who is an adult, who has owned a home only with a spouse, who is legally separated from a spouse, and who does not currently own the home previously owned with a spouse. 

   -Single parents are individuals who owned a home with his or her partner or resided in a home owned by the partner and is a single parent (is unmarried or legally separated from a spouse and either has 1 or more children of whom the individual has custody or joint custody, or is pregnant); 

   -Additional exceptions are made for households that owned a principal residence not permanently affixed to a permanent foundation.

7. All applicants will be screened for eligibility. Applicants who have been deemed ineligible will be notified in writing of the decision and given time to contact the lottery agent in writing to disagree with the determination.
8. Once the Resale Agent has verified the information contained in the application and confirmed eligibility, a lottery number will be issued, and the applicant will move forward to the lottery.
9. A final lottery eligibility letter will be emailed to each applicant indicating their final eligibility determination and the lottery specifics (date/time).
10. The lottery will be conducted via an online meeting using the Zoom online meeting tool. All eligible applicants will be given the information required to join the Zoom meeting if they would like to do so. Lottery tickets will be assigned a number in the sequence in which they are drawn and recorded in the order of selection on the Lottery Drawing Lists.
11. Once the tickets have been randomly drawn and listed in the drawn order, the units are then ranked based on bedroom size. The top ranked household needing at least the number of bedrooms in the unit will be offered the opportunity to purchase the unit. The household size preference shall be given to households based on the following criteria.
    • There is at least one occupant per bedroom.
    • A husband and wife, or those in a similar living arrangement, shall be required to share a bedroom.
    • Other household members may share but shall not be required to share a bedroom.
12. Letters with the lottery results will be emailed within three business days to the winners and all applicants.
13. The resale agent shall maintain all Lottery Drawing Lists. Applicants will be given 2 days to agree to purchase the unit before the next person can be offered the opportunity, provided they have had the opportunity to visit. If any of the applicants withdraw for any reason, or do not comply with the guidelines, the next qualified applicants in the lottery pool ranked by bedroom size need, will be offered the unit.
14. The winners will sign a reservation form and provide a $1,000 deposit in the form of a certified or bank check within a mutually agreed upon timeframe. This is applied to the overall purchase amount.